The Heart as Black as Night
by TrebledWriter
Summary: Everyone knew Nessarose Thropp as tragically beautiful. When a magic apothecary gives her the ability to walk, she slowly begins to lose more than just the tragic part. Slowly she becomes a cruel, dark version of herself. It's up to her friends to save her before it destroys their friendship...and Nessa. Shiz-era AU. Fiyeraba, Bessa, Gelphie friendship, lots of sister fluff.
1. The Raven

**Inspiration is a funny thing. I got this idea while staring at a wall just before I fell asleep. I couldn't wait to start writing it, so here it is.**

**General disclaimer: I do not own Wicked, and I'm 99.99999999999999% sure I never will. **

_**This is a Nessa-centric fic. If you despise her, I'd recommend leaving this page right now. I won't be offended, I know she's unpopular in some circles.**_

**Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Nessarose Thropp?" Madame Morrible's words rang through the hall, crisp and clear.

"Yes?" Nessa pivoted her chair towards the voice. The head Shiztress faced her and studied her briefly.

"My, what a tragically beautiful face you have." Morrible said, and Nessa inwardly frowned.

_Tragically Beautiful. _The words echoed through her head like a mantra.

She was beautiful, no question. With her flowing brown locks that stopped half way down her back and her sparkling mocha eyes, she was quite pretty, at least by some standards.

Then there was the tragic part, and Nessa knew exactly what it meant.

It was her disability. The chair with wheels she had been cursed to since she was born. She knew she would forevermore be forced to sit and watch as people performed the simple, everyday tasks she couldn't do herself.

"Your father expressed his concerns for your needs, thus you will share my compartment." Morrible announced, giving Nessa a sickly sweet smile. Some of the girls across the room snickered slightly.

_Of course._ Nessa thought bitterly. _I have to room with Madame Morrible just because of this Oz-damned chair!_

"But I'm supposed to take care of her." Elphaba said, stepping out from behind Nessa's chair.

"And who might-oh." Morrible froze at the sight of the green girl who stood in front of her, clad in an all blue Shiz uniform.

"I'm the _other _daughter, Elphaba. I'm beautifully tragic." Elphaba said bluntly.

"The Governor never mentioned you…ah well just a slight gulch." Morrible waved it off.

"Is there anyone willing to share a room with Miss Elphaba here?" Everyone averted their eyes, silently praying not to get picked.

Suddenly, a petite blonde in a pure-white uniform stepped forward with her hand raised.

"Madame Morrible-" She began, but was cut off by the older woman.

"Excellent! Miss Elphaba you will room with Miss Galinda!" The blonde shrieked and pulled away, tripping over the luggage behind her and almost falling over, but one of the other popular rich girls behind her caught her just in time.

Nessa sighed as she watched Elphaba receive her room key and march defiantly off to her room in Crage Hall. She knew that if it weren't for her being crippled, she'd be rooming with Elphaba. The two of them, sharing a room in college; studying, talking, and just being together. It was their dream.

But now Nessa had to go off to Madame Morrible's quarters and live there. She hated the thought of having to room with the old woman just because of her disability.

Brushing it off, Nessa placed the small box containing the silver-jeweled shoes in the tiny wheeled trolley that hooked to the back of her chair and set off towards her new room.

The room itself was nice. Madame Morrible had set up a private room just for the girl, which contained a bed, dresser, desk, and included a bathroom.

Nessa rolled across the soft carpet and unhooked the trolley. Slowly but surely, all of her belongings found new homes across various parts of the room. The girl cautiously pulled the small wooden box into her lap. She brushed her fingers over the carving engraved on the top of the box. She recognized it as the seal of Munchkinland, which consisted of two spiral lines leading off in different directions, representing the red and yellow brick roads, and had a shield with a large cursive 'M' placed over top.

She slid the peg out of the hole and flipped the lid of the box back. Slim fingers softly lifted the shoe, which illuminated the room in twinkly little lights. Nessa pulled off one of her plain, brown boots and slid the silver slipper onto her foot. She gasped at the surprising comfort of the new shoes and proceeded to put on the other one as well.

Finding nothing else to do, Nessa wheeled over to the bed, and pushed herself out of her chair onto the mattress. Then she removed the metal braces she was forced to wear in attempt to straighten her legs, though she knew deep down it was fruitless. The brunette ran her fingers over the deep red welts and scars that covered her shins and thighs, wincing at a few of them.

They were reminders.

Reminders of all the attempted correctional surgeries she had and how they never worked. All the times she thought maybe it would succeed, she might be able to walk, and it never had. She was stuck.

Her mind wandered to what she thought life would be like at Shiz. She was pretty sure that her only friend would be Elphaba.

_No one would want to be friends with either of us. We can be alone together._ Nessa thought sadly.

She also was very positive that no boy would want to date her. Who would want to go out with a girl who couldn't dance and had to be pushed around?

Lying back against the pillows behind her, Nessa found her eyelids getting heavy, and soon she was asleep.

* * *

Three months had passed since the first day, and Nessa's life had never been better. She and Elphaba had a small, but very close-knit friend group.

"Everything I thought was wrong." Nessa said randomly during lunch one day. Everyone at the table seized their eating and gave her strange looks.

"What do you mean?" Elphaba asked.

"I never expected to have such great friends." Fiyero smiled and laced his fingers with Elphaba's, and Galinda tossed her hair, releasing a giggle. "And a…boyfriend." Boq looked up from his lunch, blushing red. A smile tugged the corners of his lips upward and he leaned across the table and placed a soft kiss on Nessa's cheek, causing _her _to blush the same color.

"If you didn't expect having friends and a boyfriend…what did you expect?" Fiyero asked.

"Honestly? I thought that it would just be Elphaba and I. No one wanted to be friends with either of us until now." Nessa said softly and Elphaba nodded in agreement.

"Really?" Galinda gasped, then continued. "Why not?" Nessa glanced at Elphaba who proceeded.

"Well just look at us. I'm green, she's in a wheelchair." Elphaba said with her characteristic bluntness.

"No one wanted to be friends with either of you just because of your skin color and disability?" Boq asked.

Both Thropp girls nodded sadly. They locked eyes, brown staring into brown, and they seemed to have a silent conversation. Fiyero, Galinda, and Boq sat there awkwardly as the two mentally conversed. With one final quirked eyebrow from Elphaba, Nessa spoke again.

"Neither of us have ever had a boyfriend. Or…even been kissed." She said shyly.

The other occupants of the table gawked at them.

"All because of your…differences?" Boq asked.

"Afraid so." Elphaba confirmed.

"Well all those people are stupid." Fiyero stated, before he kissed Elphaba softly and swiftly.

"I agree with Fifi!" Galinda said seriously.

"Fifi?" Fiyero raised his eyebrow.

"Yes! Fifi! That's your new nickname."

"And you can call her…Galinda." Elphaba giggled in a high-pitched voice while tossing her hair.

"Elphie! I taught you that!" Galinda admonished, and Elphaba threw her head back and cackled.

"Yes. I'm aware." Elphaba said bluntly, before turning her attention to Fiyero. "Do you think 'Fifi' is a bit perky?" She smirked.

"…I supposed it is." Fiyero said innocently, causing Elphaba to cackle once again.

"What's with the thing you two did with the staring?" Galinda asked, referring to the Thropp's earlier silent conversation.

"Well…it's…complicated." Elphaba said.

"It's a…sister thing?" Nessa offered.

It was much more complicated though. Through years together they had grown so close that they were almost on the same mental wave length. They could nearly mentally communicate with each other.

"Oh Shiz! We're gonna be late for class!" Boq exclaimed, looking at his watch. Everyone gathered the remains of their lunches, deposited them in the trash, and raced off to their classes. Elphaba leapt behind Nessa's chair and pushed her to Arithmetic, while Fiyero and Galinda raced off to Life Science and Politics respectively, and Boq left for his Psychology class.

"Fabala, I can get to Arithmetic. You'll be late for Literature. Go, I'll be fine." Nessa practically begged.

"No. I'll get there in plenty of time." Elphaba promised. She dropped Nessa off at the Arithmetic class and ran off to Literature, but raced into the classroom two minutes after the bell had rung.

"Miss Elphaba, you're late." The professor deadpanned when she burst into the room.

"Yes, I'm sorry sir." She apologized softly, taking her seat.

"Well, you can apologize all you want in detention." He said directly, staring right into her chocolate brown eyes.

"D-detention?" Elphaba asked. She'd never had detention before!

"Yes, detention. Meet me in this classroom after your last class."

"Yes sir." She nodded and pulled out her book. The professor solemnly looked around the classroom before starting the lesson.

* * *

Nessa sat alone in her room that night, taking in the conversation she'd had with Elphaba earlier.

"_Detention?" Nessa asked, stunned._

"_Detention." Elphaba repeated, nodding slowly._

"_All because of me." The younger girl softly said._

"_Nessie it's not your fault." Elphaba assured. "I chose to push you to class." _

"_But if it weren't for this chair-" _

"_Nessa it's fine!" Elphaba snapped, but instantly recoiled. "Nessa…"_

"_No I get it. I have to go…Philosophy homework…" Nessa muttered, rolling out of Elphaba and Galinda's shared dorm._

She sighed, leaning against the window, gazing out at the grounds of Shiz. Dimly lit street poles illuminated the sidewalks and she watched a few students walk the campus.

Nessa rolled away from the window, when suddenly a strange pecking and scratching caught her attention. She turned and saw a black raven sitting on the sill. The girl rolled her chair over to the window and opened it. The raven hopped inside, awkwardly balancing on one leg. The other had a piece of paper wrapped around it. Nessa delicately untied the string that held it in place and pulled it off. The raven squawked before leaping off the sill and disappearing into the black abyss of the night.

Nessa closed the window. Confused, she unrolled the paper and studied at it. It was a flyer of some sort.

_Nieve Tolaway_

_Apothecary_

_Capable of magical miracles_

"What in Oz name…?" She mumbled, looking at the paper. Nessa folded the paper and threw it on her nightstand.

_That was just a fluke. _She decided. _It doesn't mean anything. There is nothing important about it._

_Right?_

* * *

**How was that? I hope it was good! At the time of posting this chapters 1-10 have been written out, so updates will be every other day. I know it all seems kind of jumpy and random at the moment, but don't worry. Everything will make sense eventually.**

**For future reference: Nieve is pronounced with a long 'I' and short 'e'. Like "night" and the sound in "Kevin" (NIE-ehv)**

**Please review!**


	2. Meeting With An Apothecary

**Something I forgot to mention- the cover photo is Catherine Charlebois, my favorite Nessa of all time!**

**Chanty420: Very much so.**

**Wanli8970: I agree, it's underused.**

**Fae'sFlower: I changed her name.**

**fermataoso: I'm honored that you're reading my story!**

**rhinoiron: Well...this story needs a plot...**

* * *

"Is it true class, that everything is not always what it seems?" Professor Reapolo asked, wandering the front of the classroom, one hand tucked into the pocket of his tan pants. The other hand pointed to that same phrase written on the blackboard in white chalk.

"Is it true that some things are more than meets the eye?" Nessa pondered the question. Philosophy was one of her favorite classes, constantly challenging what she thought and introducing new ideas to her mind. Tentatively, she raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Nessarose." The professor said, pointing at the brunette seated in the front.

"Some things aren't what they seem. Some things that seem to be…flukes…end up being something that is destined to be." Nessa explained, her mind flitting to the raven and the flyer from the previous night.

"Correct Miss Nessarose. Always look into something, into the deeper meaning." Professor Reapolo said. At that moment, the bell rang.

"Homework! Read chapter seven! Then, write about something that is more than it seems to be. Due Monday!" He called, and the students left quickly. It was the last class on a Friday after all.

Nessa wheeled herself back to her room, rolling through Madame Morrible's empty quarters and into her private suite, and then shutting the door. She took her book bag and swung it onto her desk, before moving over to her night stand. Carefully, she took the piece of paper and unfolded it once again.

This time however, she noticed something typed on the page that she hadn't seen prior.

_Can make any wish come true._

Nessarose released a small gasp at this. "Any wish?" She whispered incredulously. She read on.

_Mistress of magic, can cast any spell._

_Bring an item that resembles what you wish._

There was also an address to the apothecary's shop, located about an hour northwest in the slightly less wealthy part of the Gillikin.

_The shoes. _A voice in her head suggested. _Take the shoes and go see her._

_Are you crazy?_ Another voice screamed. _Are you going to meet this random woman you've never met in hopes she can make you walk?_

"Yes I am." She decided. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to be able to walk." Nessa sighed happily at the thought of being able to walk for the first time.

"That'll surprise them." She snickered, before rolling to her desk and commencing her homework.

* * *

The next morning, Nessa awoke excited. If all went well, she'd be able to walk. A quick glance at her clock told her it was quarter-past seven, and it was an hour carriage ride, which would arrive in forty-five minutes. She pushed herself out of bed and into her wheelchair which sat nearby, causing a shot of pain up her arms, which wasn't unusual. The stress and overuse took a real toll on her biceps and shoulders, and pain was frequent, especially when moving out of or into her chair.

_Hopefully this will be the last time I have to do this. _She thought gleefully. _Don't get your hopes up though, who knows if she'll even be willing to help. _The other voice in her head told her sternly.

Shaking off the negative thoughts, Nessa got herself ready. It took some work and a bit of strength, but she managed it.

Dressed in a simple blue dress with a white jacket, she went to work on her braces. Doing what she had done many times before, Nessa tightened them at the ankles and knees, wincing as they dug deep into her porcelain skin.

She figured no one would be all too happy with her leaving to go who-knows-where to see a magic apothecary she'd never met before, so she decided not to tell them at all. Nessa told them she was going to a shop in the Emerald City. Galinda had gotten excited, so Nessa quickly interjected saying that it wasn't a boutique, but a fortune seer, claiming it was part of her Philosophy homework. Apparently her lie work was good, because no one questioned it.

The young Thropp wore her simple brown boots, figuring that would be best to not draw attention to herself. But the silver slippers were safely tucked away in the wooden box, and Nessa gently rested it on her lap. Also in the box was a pouch filled with silver and gold coins she got from Father, as well as the flyer from the raven. She scribbled out a brief note on a piece of stationary and left it for Madame Morrible, saving her from the heart attack that would ensue when the Governor of Munchkinland's daughter was missing.

Deciding she was ready, Nessa rolled out of the suite and into the hall. She had twenty minutes before the carriage would be at the gate waiting, so she decided to go to the café and get some breakfast. It was an oddly warm day, considering it was almost the end of November. A soft, but cold breeze lifted her chestnut tresses slightly and tickled her cheeks. Quickly the café came into sight, and the aroma of fresh bread reached her nose, making her even hungrier.

"Morning Treah!" Nessa called as she entered the café. The barista in question turned, and smiled at the sight of the wheelchair-bound girl. She tossed her red braid over her shoulder and went back to making her croissants.

"Hello Nessa! What brings you here so early?" Treah asked, fixing Nessa's usual.

"Going on a little Saturday trip." Nessa said nonchalantly. Treah gave her a confused look but shrugged it off, before grabbing the brown paper bag and handing it to Nessa.

"Blueberry muffin and peppermint tea." Treah smiled. Nessa gratefully took it, and pulled out five silver coins and placed them on the counter. And then she threw another two in the tip jar, winking at Treah.

"Thanks!" Nessa said, rolling towards the door.

"Have fun on your 'trip'." Treah said, using air quotes.

"If all goes well, it'll be great." Nessa smiled, staying rather vague, and then she left the café and went towards the gate, where the carriage was just rolling up. Treah just shrugged and returned to her work.

* * *

A tiny bell tinkled its welcome as Nessa opened the door to the small cottage that belonged to the apothecary. She rolled inside, the wheels of her chair scratching on the solid wood.

"Hello?" She called, unknowing if anyone was home. There was the shuffling of feet before a lady entered the room.

She had dark brown hair that flowed freely down to her mid-back, and one section was faded grey. The woman appeared around middle age, about the same as Frex, and had laugh lines around her lips which were coated in red lipstick, but not a Morrible-amount of lipstick.

"May I help you dear?" The woman asked cautiously. Nessarose smiled and nodded.

"I heard you know a little magic and might be able to help me out?" Nessa crossed her fingers under the sleeve of her jacket with one hand, while the other held out the flyer. The woman took it and studied it.

"Well that depends on what you wish." The woman said cryptically.

"I wish to walk, Ms…Nieve?" Nessa asked.

"That's my name!" The woman laughed. "I suppose I can help you to walk." Nieve walked over to her desk and retrieved a notepad and a quill. She dipped it into the ink and began to jot down notes.

"First, name." She asked.

"Nessarose." Nieve's head shot up so fast it made Nessa jump. The quill dropped to the floor, and Nieve's jaw almost followed it all the way down.

"As in Nessarose Thropp? The governor of Munchkinland's daughter?" Her voice wavered a bit, but Nessa couldn't distinguish the reason behind it.

"Yes…that's me…" Nessa replied unsurely. Nieve's grey eyes flickered with something. Excitement? Fear?

"Is something wrong?" The girl inquired, and Nieve snapped out of her thoughts.

"Oh no nothing is wrong, I'm just not used to having a customer of such high class." Nieve waved a hand dismissively.

"What have you brought in that funny little box of yours?" Nessa smiled softly and opened the box, revealing the silver shoes.

Nieve gasped. "Can I…?" She trailed off, and Nessa took one of the shoes out and handed it to the apothecary. She examined briefly it before handing it back to its owner. Nessa gently took the slipper and placed it back with its partner in the box.

"So…can you help me?" Nessa asked hopefully. Nieve thought about it briefly before answering.

"Yes. I believe I can." Nieve said smoothly. Nessa's face broke into a grin so wide it looked like it would split her face in two.

"Can you do it today?" She asked.

"Indeed I can. Just let me go find a spell book…" Nieve wandered into the back room of the shop. Nessa heard the _thumping _of books being moved around, and Nieve muttering incoherently under her breath.

"Ah! There it is!" She announced, and appeared carrying a thick leather tome. Nieve knelt down and flipped open the spell book, and traced her index finger over the weathered page. Nessa tried to decipher what it said, but it was written in some strange language she had never seen before. Nieve sat back on her haunches and looked up at Nessa.

"I must brew a potion to accompany the spell." She stated.

"What will it do?" Nessa questioned.

"It's very complex. The simplest explanation is that the potion needs to be taken to start to activate the muscles in your legs that have been unused for so long. Without the potion, the process would be quite long and painful for you dear."

"Do you have what's needed to brew it?" Nessa asked, hope laced in her voice.

"Oh yes I do." Nessa let out a breath. "It's a simple one. I've done it a bunch of times before."

Nieve once again disappeared into the back room and commenced her potion-making. Nessa took advantage of the time to put on the silver slippers, which gleamed happily back at her, making her smile.

"So did you come all the way from Munchkinland?" Nieve called from the other room, in attempt to fill the empty void that had befallen them.

"No. I'm at Shiz with my sister, Elphaba." Nessa responded.

"What are you studying?"

"Politics, Philosophy, Ozian History, all that's necessary to be Governor someday."

Nessa heard Nieve say something from the other room, but didn't quite catch it.

"What was that?" Nessa asked.

"Oh nothing, just measurements." Nieve assured as she walked over the threshold with a small goblet in her hand. The content was a black, swirling liquid that had an…interesting odor.

"Do I drink it before or after you cast the spell?" Nessa asked, taking a whiff of the liquid.

"After. Are you ready?" Nieve positioned herself on the floor with her spell book, poised to cast it. Nessa nodded vigorously and placed the goblet on the nearby table.

"Just so you know…this may cause you slight…discomfort." Nieve warned, but Nessa shrugged.

"Da motus ad a dolor in utero, Disce ad movere, hot pedes. Ambulate, Ambulate ergo pede pedem, calidum pedes." Nieve chanted softly, swirling her arms gracefully over the spell book, and then over the silver slippers.

"It feels like my shoes are on fire!" Nessa cried in pain, but Nieve continued. The shoes began to glow a bright ruby color, the twinkly lights bathing the room in red.

One followed by another, Nessa's legs shot out of the wheelchair, pulling the rest of her body into a standing position. She took a few wobbly steps before crumbling to the ground. She moved her legs beneath her and pushed her body upright, amazed at the fact she was standing. She was smiling broadly and her eyes were alight with a gleam of excitement.

"Quickly, drink the potion!" Nieve said, pointing at it. Nessa walked unsteadily to the table and picked up the goblet, and proceeded to down the black potion. Her eyes widened as she finished it, and a hand flew to her chest as she coughed.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Nessa asked in a raspy voice once she finished hacking.

"Oh yes. It's a normal side-effect of the potion." Nieve shrugged. "Now go! I suspect you have some people who are worried about you by now." The woman gently pushed Nessa towards the door.

"Wait don't I owe you something?" Nessa asked, turning and pulling out her bag of coins.

"It's on the house. Only the best for the future Governor of Munchkinland!" Nieve laughed and ushered Nessa out the door, followed by her wheelchair.

"Just wear those shoes all the time!" She called as Nessa got into the carriage and waved as she drove away.

* * *

Later that afternoon, a particular blonde was trying to pry the details out of the resident artichoke about said artichoke's date with a certain prince.

"Glin, we just went for a walk and sat by the Suicide Canal! That's all!" Elphaba said irritably.

"Did you kiss?" Galinda asked, raising her eyebrows.

"…maybe…" Elphaba muttered. She looked around desperately for something, _anything_, to get her out of the awkward situation she was in.

The sound of scratching wheels was heard, and she sighed, knowing that Nessa was about to save her. But instead of the expected knock, a piece of paper was slid under the door. Elphaba went over and picked it up. She glanced over the note, written in Nessa's perfect handwriting.

_Fabala,_

_Meet me at the café in 15 minutes for dinner. Bring Galinda, Boq, and Fiyero with you. My treat tonight. I have a surprise for all of you._

_Love,_

_Nessa_

"Yay dinner with friends!" Galinda cheered. Elphaba chuckled before going to get ready.

* * *

**Whooh! That was a long chapter for me to write! The chant is the Google Translated version of the translation of Elphaba's chant in the Wicked Witch of the East scene into Latin, so it would have the same effect but not be the spell from the Grimmerie. **

**Just so you know, Nieve looks like Stacy London. Well at least how I imagine her.**

**Favorite lines?**


	3. Always Be There

**So none of you seem to trust Nieve... *smirks* I see why. In the words of my best friend AloneAndFree-CreatingMyself "you shouldn't trust a random magician".**

**Oh and I updated early because *drum roll* I'm going to see Wicked again today! Yay I'm so excited!**

**witches always return: You can find the direct translation of the chant and the chant on the Wicked Wiki under "The Wicked Witch of the East".**

**Little bit of Bessa fluff, and some sister fluff. Because I can. And it's adorable.**

* * *

Being able to walk was more liberating then Nessa thought was possible. But of course, she had to wait until _after _dinner to show her new ability. She could barely contain herself as she sat at the table, waiting for her friends to arrive. The girl sat in her wheelchair on the far side of the table, her new ruby colored slippers hidden underneath. A bright smile lit up her features as everyone entered the café together.

"Over here!" Nessa called, waving a hand. They all walked over, taking their seats. Boq sat on her right, and Elphaba on her left, with Galinda next to Boq and Fiyero next to Elphaba.

"So what's the surprise?" Galinda asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Nessa smirked, causing the blonde to pout. Treah came over and brought them sandwiches and other various food items.

"How was the fortune seer?" Elphaba asked, setting down her sandwich and taking a sip of water.

"The what?" Nessa asked, confused.

"The fortune seer? The one you went to see?" Elphaba continued.

"Oh yes that! It was alright I guess. Nothing special really." Nessa shrugged. Elphaba raised her eyebrow, but said nothing.

For dessert, Treah brought over a few chocolate croissants for the group, and since there was no one else in the café, she joined them.

"That was delicious." Boq said, taking Nessa's hand in his own. The girl reached into her purse and pulled out ten silver coins to pay for the meal. Treah took them and put them in her apron, she'd deal with them later.

"Okay now what's the surprise?" Galinda asked childishly. The suspense was killing her.

"Alright!" Nessa sighed, and Galinda giggled. "You all go stand over there." She vaguely gestured to an adjacent table. "Close your eyes and don't open till I say!" Elphaba, Fiyero, Boq, Galinda, and Treah all did as told.

Nessa smiled and quietly, using her ruby slippers, stood up out of her chair. She had by then gained use of her balance, and was able to stand and walk painlessly and not fall over anymore.

"Open 'em." She whispered. A gasp in unison was heard at the sight of the crippled girl standing.

"Nessie? Are you really…?" Elphaba started, slowly moving closer, awe written all over her face.

"Standing? Yes." Nessa answered, smiling broadly.

"But…how?"

"I may have kinda-sorta lied about the fortune seer. Truth be told I was seeing a magical apothecary."

"And she fixed your legs?" Boq asked.

"Well…more like gave me magic shoes." She said, pointing at the ruby slippers.

"Are those the silver slippers Father gave you?" Elphaba inquired.

"Yes." Nessa smirked.

"That's amazing!" Galinda said, having finally picked her jaw up off the floor.

"I know!" Nessa did a twirl, before walking over to her sister.

"Now you don't have to push me in that chair." She smiled. Then her expression changed. Her eyes darkened and lips curled into a sneer.

"Now you're the only embarrassment in the family." She spat. Everyone's eyes widened at the sudden change in the brunette's attitude.

"Nessa!" Galinda admonished.

"What? It's true." She shrugged coldly.

"That's your sister!" Boq said obviously. Nessa blinked and her demeanor changed again.

"Yes…I know that's Fabala...and I have no idea why I just said that." Nessa looked around to the shocked faces of her friends. "Something kind of just…came over me I guess."

"Is that how you really feel?" Elphaba asked softly, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"Oh Oz no! I have no idea what that was!" Nessa pleaded.

Elphaba remained silent for a minute.

"It's alright Nessie." She hugged her sister. "I forgive you."

Unbeknownst to Nessa or even herself, a tiny seed of doubt had firmly planted itself in the back of Elphaba's mind. It was small, sure, but doubt is a powerful thing. It could die, who knows, but for that moment, it was there.

* * *

That night, Nessa walked into Morrible's quarters, and almost gave the Head Shiztress a heart attack.

"Miss Nessarose are you actually walking? Or am I hallucinating again?" Morrible asked, flabbergasted. She blindly put out a hand and touched the younger girl's shoulder.

"Yes I am actually walking. I got my silver slippers enchanted so I could walk." Nessa explained, shrugging Morrible's hand off.

Morrible gave her a blank look. "That's a lot to take in." Nessa walked into her room and closed the door behind her.

She jumped, twirled, and moved around the room, filled with freedom and excitement.

"I can walk, I can walk, I can walk…" Nessa sang softly, allowing her slippers to maneuver her around the room.

Experimentally, she bent her leg up and removed the slipper. She lost all movement over the limb, and she nearly toppled over. Quickly, Nessa jammed the shoe back on her foot, and she gained control over her leg again.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Nessa plopped down on her soft bed, resting her head on the pillow. She gazed down at the ruby slippers she wore, smiling at their cheery red shine.

After a calming minute, Nessa stood up again and got herself ready for bed. She slipped into a purple nightgown and finished her nightly routine.

At this point it was half-past nine, and Nessa felt the exhaustion of the day catching up to her. She released a long, cat-like yawn, before trudging over to her bed. The girl perched herself on the edge of her bed and took off her shoes, placing them neatly beside her bed, before swinging her legs up and under the sheets. Nessa flicked off the light, and curled up under her sheets. A few clock-ticks later, she was asleep.

* * *

Sunday was uneventful, as usual. Nessa and Boq had their standard Sunday study session in the boys' dorm. Fiyero had taken his girlfriend out for a walk in the nice weather, and Galinda went out shopping.

"So it would be a chemical change." Nessa said, answering Boq's question.

"Yes, but why?" Boq challenged.

"Because it was creating two new substances." Nessa answered.

"You are ready for the science test tomorrow." Boq smiled, lightly poking her on the arm.

"It's _tomorrow?_" Nessa demanded, straightening up.

"I thought you knew that." Boq said, suddenly becoming serious.

"I thought it was Tuesday!" Nessa was starting to panic.

"Nessa you'll be fine-" Boq was cut off.

"I'm far from fine! I thought it was Tuesday! I'm so unprepared! Plus the study guide-" Boq shut her up with a soft kiss.

"You'll be fine. You know the material like the back of your hand." Boq assured her. She took a deep breath.

"Thanks Boq, I really needed that." She smiled. Boq glanced at the clock and smirked, and gestured to it with his head.

"It's three." He said simply.

"Yes it is." She replied, a smile creeping on to her face.

"You know what that means."

"Time for our Sunday afternoon study-break-tea." Nessa laughed, using a semi-serious voice towards the end.

Boq smiled and helped Nessa up. He gently took her hand and they left the dorm, pausing slightly so Boq could lock the door. The walked across the grounds, hand in hand, as they went towards the café. Nessa sighed contently and leaned her head on Boq's shoulder as they moved. Boq smiled slightly, and placed a gentle kiss in Nessa's brown hair.

They entered the café, and people were once again staring at the once-crippled girl they had seen _rolling _around campus just yesterday, who was now standing on her own two feet.

"What are you all looking at?" Nessa snarled, eyes narrow, and everyone quickly averted their eyes.

"Sorry everyone, she's had a bad day." Boq apologized, leading Nessa over to a table, yet she remained glaring at everyone in the café.

"Nessa? What's wrong? You've been acting strange." Boq asked softly, looking into her mocha eyes.

"Boq…I don't know…" Nessa murmured, dropping her head and fixing her gaze on the table.

"Um…I'm going to get our tea then." Boq said, getting up and walking over to the order counter. While he was occupied, Nessa pulled a small mirror out of the inside pocket of her jacket. She looked in the mirror, smoothing her hair back with her slender hand. Her line of sight then fell to the reflection of her eyes.

Suddenly, much to her surprise, the rich brown of her irises were replaced with a very quick flash of pure black, and then returned to normal. Startled, Nessa dropped the mirror on the table and gasped.

When Boq returned with two cups of steaming hot tea, he found Nessa staring at a mirror which lay neglected on the table, her hand over her chest as it heaved.

"Are you alright Nessa?" He asked, taking her free hand and placing the mug in its grasp.

"Does it look like I'm alright?" She demanded harshly, but then recoiled. "I'm sorry Boq it's just…in the mirror…my eyes…" Nessa trailed off, looking conflicted.

"Hey, you can tell me." Boq said reassuringly.

"They…they flashed black." Nessa said softly.

"Are you sure? It could've just been a trick of the light or something."

"You're probably right Boq. I'm just stressed." Nessa said, crossing her arms on the table and resting her chin upon them. She closed her eyes, listening to the voices of the other occupants in the room.

The café door's bell tinkled once again, and Nessa heard Boq get up, but didn't bother to look. She also heard him talk to someone else, yet she couldn't make out his words. Suddenly someone was beside her. Nessa felt three light pokes on the shoulder.

One eye popped open, only to find Elphaba's smirking face in plain view. Nessa opened her other eye and lifted her head up.

"How was your walk?" Nessa asked.

"Oh, the usual." Elphaba said, waving a dismissive hand. "Can we talk…outside?" She asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Of course Fabala." Nessa said. Elphaba stood up and strode towards the door, and in the moment Nessa shrugged confusedly at Boq, who shrugged back, and then the girl followed her sister out. Fiyero came and joined Boq.

"How's Elphaba?" Boq asked.

"Good, how's Nessa?" Fiyero questioned.

"Good." Boq responded.

The two attempted to find something to talk about, and eventually settled on the latest Shiz netball match.

"Apparently we won." Boq said, obviously showing no knowledge of the game.

"Apparently we did." Fiyero agreed.

* * *

"What did you want to talk about?" Nessa asked, sitting down next to Elphaba on a bench under a tree not too far from the café.

"Boq told me about what happened back there." Elphaba said. "About how you yelled at everyone and…he said something about a mirror."

Nessa visibly paled. "He told you that?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. It's just…like…remember yesterday when I said you were an embarrassment?" Elphaba nodded, remembering quite well. "It was like that. All of the sudden this wave of anger and aggression that I can't control just washes over me, and it causes me to say the meanest, most hurtful thing I can think of. And the mirror…I _swear _that for a split second my eyes turned…black. They were pure black, like some…demon possessed them for a moment." Nessa explained softly.

Elphaba sat silently, taking it all in.

"What do I do?" Nessa whispered. Elphaba pulled her sister close, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"I don't know Nessie. I really don't."

"Fabala…I'm scared." She said softly.

"Of what?"

"If this gets worse…if I start saying worse things...everybody will hate me. They'll all leave." Nessa whispered.

"No they won't Nessa. We'll always be here for you." Elphaba said.

"Promise?" Nessa asked, looking up at her sister. Elphaba lightly kissed her forehead.

"Promise."

* * *

**There you go! Chapter 3!**

**Review please!**


	4. Bucks at Zandolyn's

**So, Wicked was amazing! Whitney Brandt went on (she was the understudy) and I swear all through Popular she had a little bit too much spiked punch at the party if you know what I mean, and she was bouncing and squeeing and it was hilarious.**

**bwayfan25: Yeah Bessa! *virtual high five***

**Fae'sFlower: Patience. He will eventually.**

**LifelongLeahstar: At least 11 chapters, not sure on the full length yet.**

**SunRise19: Thanks so much!**

**For reference, they are all talking about the same science test, in case that was confusing.**

* * *

"Cursed Elphie! I'm cursed!" Galinda shrieked, throwing the textbook onto her bed.

"Galinda, for the last time, split ends aren't a curse." Elphaba explained slowly, not looking up from her novel.

"No Elphie! This science test we have tomorrow. I'm going to fail! I can't remember any of this!" Galinda huffed. Elphaba, suddenly interested, stuck a bookmark in her page and sat up to look at the blonde.

"Since when did you care about tests?" Elphaba asked.

"Elphie, if I don't pass, I'm going to fail the class. And then Momsie and Popsicle will cut my allowance in half." She complained. The green girl rolled her eyes.

"You will still get more than twice what Nessa and I get combined." Elphaba said. Galinda gave her one puppy-dog look and she sighed.

"You want help studying don't you?" It was less of a question, more of a statement. Galinda nodded.

"Alright, what don't you understand?" Elphaba asked, moving over to Galinda's bed and picking up the textbook. The green girl sat cross-legged, resting the book on top of her folded legs, and opened up to the first chapter that the test was on and briefly skimmed it.

"Most of it." Galinda admitted sheepishly. Elphaba looked at her and back down to the page.

"Let's start with…this," Elphaba said, placing a finger on the question she found, "What do you get when you combine an acid with a base?" Elphaba asked, looking up at the blonde.

"Oh I know this! It's…water…and a…salt?" Galinda answered, but the end was more of a question. Elphaba smiled.

"That's right Glin!" She said. "How about…when waves move at different speeds through a medium, what is it called?"

Galinda racked her brain, searching for the answer. She couldn't come up with anything.

"Hint?" Galinda pleaded, and Elphaba agreed.

"It starts with an 'r'." She said.

"Ooh reflection!" Galinda said, and Elphaba shook her head.

"Close, it's called _refraction_." Elphaba informed her.

It went on like this for a few hours. Elphaba read through all three chapters and asked Galinda questions on any part she could.

"Final question, if you can answer it, you'll do fine on the test tomorrow. Ready?" Elphaba asked, and Galinda nodded vigorously.

"What is the more common name for the human tympanic membrane?"

Galinda closed her eyes and focused, she knew this! Digging around in the knowledge that was swimming through her head, she found the answer.

"The eardrum!" Galinda said, smiling broadly. Elphaba grinned and gave her a hug.

"Galinda you'll do just fine tomorrow, as long as we get some good sleep tonight." Elphaba said, yawning. It was almost ten, so the two decided to turn in for the night.

"Thanks Elphie." Galinda said as she slid into bed.

"You're welcome Glin. You'll do great tomorrow."

* * *

The alarm clock blared at eight the next morning. After a minute, Elphaba sat up and looked around the room. The bathroom door was closed, a light shining underneath. Elphaba collected her undergarments and her uniform and sat on the bed and waited. Just a moment later, Galinda came out of the bathroom, a towel on her head and dressed in a bathrobe.

"Morning Galinda." Elphaba said.

"Hi Elphie!" The blonde chirped, walking into the room.

Elphaba walked into the bathroom and closed the door. In only twenty minutes she reappeared, with her wet hair clinging to her back.

She found Galinda, perfect blonde hair already dry and wearing her uniform, curled up on her bed reading. Wait reading?!

"Galinda…what are you doing?" Elphaba asked cautiously.

"Last minute studying." Galinda said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, not looking up from the book in her lap.

"Well we better go if you want to…you know…eat before we take this test." Elphaba said, throwing her hair in a braid. Galinda agreed, setting the textbook down, grabbing her bag, and following her roommate out the door.

Galinda and Elphaba walked into the café. Fiyero had magically appeared behind them, and Nessa and Boq were over already in a booth, so they decided to sit together. Grabbing their orders, Galinda, Elphaba, and Fiyero walked over to the table.

"Hi guys!" Galinda said brightly, sitting down.

"Hey." Boq said, sliding over to accommodate the newcomers.

"Hello." Nessa whispered, scooting slightly away from Boq. She tore a small piece off her muffin and nibbled on it, refusing to make eye contact with anyone at the table.

Boq pointed at her and shrugged, he didn't understand her behavior either. Elphaba gave him a calming look, implying she'd talk to her later.

After a short breakfast, everyone went on with their day. The science test loomed over all of them like a black, ominous cloud. Boq took it first, since science was his first class of the day. Then Elphaba, Nessa, Fiyero, and Galinda had it last.

She walked into science slowly, as if at any point something might've attacked her. Her fear increased even more when she saw "TEST TODAY!" written on the blackboard. Galinda slipped into her seat silently, channeling all the information from the previous night's study session. As she struggled to remember what the qualities of an acid were, the professor stepped up to the front of the class room.

"Good afternoon class. Today you will take the test on chapters thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. You have the whole period to work. Good luck."

He handed a test packet to everyone, before returning to his desk. Galinda took a deep, calming breath before grabbing her quill and starting. She wrote her name at the top before briefly reading all the questions, a tip she'd learned from Elphie.

As she went, she realized that she knew the answers to a good majority of the questions.

She smiled as she marked her answers, skipping the five or so she didn't know. Galinda scribbled out a few sentences for the short response question, and put her best guess on the questions she had left.

At this point, class was going to be over in ten minutes. She read over the answers she put several times, before walking to the front of the room on shaking knees and turning in the test.

Galinda returned to her seat, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She put her head down, resting them on her crossed arms. After two short minutes, the bell rang and she bolted out of the room.

* * *

"You know what we should do?" Fiyero suggested the next day to Elphaba, putting down his quill and looking at her. Boq looked up from his arithmetic, Nessa from her Philosophy paper, and Galinda from her nails.

"What would that be Fiyero?" Elphaba sighed, putting her book down. They were in the middle of a homework session, the five of them, and Elphaba had already finished, naturally.

"The science test we took yesterday. We should play Bucks on Friday night after we get it back." Fiyero smiled.

Bucks was a relatively simple game they had created, but played rarely. The way it worked was they would all go out for dinner after a test, and the person who got the lowest score would pay the bill. They didn't play it often, because it wasn't that fun when it was done constantly, so it was really only after mid-terms or big tests, like the science one.

"What do you think?" Fiyero asked, a devilish grin on his face. Everyone was silent.

"I'm in." A voice broke the silence, which belonged to Boq.

"Me too." Nessa said.

"I suppose." Elphaba agreed reluctantly.

"Let's do it." Galinda said.

"Great! Friday at _Zandolyn's_. Bring your tests." Fiyero said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

Galinda nervously tapped her fingers on the desk as the professor called out names to hand back the tests.

"Miss Galinda." He finally said.

The blonde dragged her feet to the front, as if anticipating her doom. She held out her manicured hand and the professor placed the test in her grasp.

"Well done Miss Galinda." The professor smiled. Galinda nodded and walked back to her seat, the graded corner of the test folded over. She slowly uncovered it and gasped at the sight.

A 'B' was written in bright red ink, and beside it '86%' was printed neatly.

On the outside she was smiling.

On the inside, however, she was jumping for joy, dancing, and screaming all at the same time.

She wouldn't lose Bucks this time.

* * *

Friday came quickly, and the group all met at _Zandolyn's_, a restaurant just down the road from the campus. Fiyero arrived first with Elphaba, followed by Nessarose and Boq, and Galinda showed up last.

Everyone placed their orders, and as they ate, Bucks commenced.

"Alright, let's start. Fae, you go first." Fiyero said. Elphaba pulled the test out of her jacket pocket. She smoothed out the creases so the '100%' was easily read.

"Not surprising. Nessa?" They went around, Nessa had a '94%' and Boq had a '92%.'

"Galinda?" Fiyero asked.

"Nope. I'm going last. Fiyero, your turn." Galinda said, pointing a finger at the Prince. He sighed, and pulled a crumpled paper out of his pocket, a '72%' was written on it.

"I studied with Fae!" He exclaimed proudly. Galinda smiled, pulled out her test, and put it on the table. She cautiously unfolded it, as if afraid it would fall apart.

"Eighty-six! I got a B!" She said excitedly.

"Would you look at that? The blonde bimbo _didn't _fail." Nessa snarled. Everyone dropped their utensils, eyes glued to the girl.

"Nessa!" Boq said sternly.

"Don't give me that crap Boq. I'm surprised. Galinda, the blonde bimbo, _didn't _fail her science test." Nessa hissed. Galinda looked as if she was about to burst into tears, strangle Nessa, or both.

"Nessarose Avalyn Thropp!" Elphaba yelled, using her sister's full name, which shocked everyone. Elphaba _never _yelled at her sister.

That seemed to snap Nessa out of it.

"Oh Galinda…I'm sorry. I don't…I can't…" Nessa stuttered, grappling with her words. "Oz-dammit I don't know what's been coming over me lately!" She cried.

"What's been happening?" Fiyero asked, oblivious to the previous events.

"She's been constantly _insulting _us." Galinda said in a low tone.

"It's not like that!" Nessa interjected, giving Elphaba a pleading look.

"She's been experiencing uncontrollable waves of anger-" Elphaba attempted to explain, but was cut off by Galinda.

"You're just trying to defend her because she's your sister!" The blonde accused. "Thanks Elphie. I thought maybe you would've been on my side." She said sarcastically, grabbing her purse and storming out of the restaurant.

* * *

The next morning, the two had reconciled. Elphaba had managed to convince Galinda of what Nessa had told her about the random outbursts, but that didn't change the anger that the blonde felt towards the younger Thropp.

Around noon, hunger was taking over both, so they went off in search of food, more specifically café food.

They walked to the café, shivering. The sudden change in the weather caused the temperature to drop at least fifteen degrees from what it was last week.

After what felt like an eternity, the pair reached their destination. They both received their sandwiches and looked around for somewhere to sit. Elphaba scoped the room, and someone caught her eye.

"Look," she said, gently nudging Galinda and pointing to a booth in the corner, "There's Nessa." The brunette sat alone, discarded food in front of her, running a finger around the rim of her mug and muttering to herself.

"Elphie, do we have to?" Galinda whispered. One look from the green girl shut her up.

Galinda and Elphaba walked over and sat down across from Nessa, who didn't look up from her focus on the torn-apart lunch on the table.

"Nessie?" Elphaba asked, and Nessa met her gaze. She bit her lip as her face reddened. Elphaba reached out and grasped her sister's surprisingly cold hand, not expecting for the other girl to quickly pull away.

"Is everything alright?" Galinda asked, concern glistening in her eyes. Despite what the brunette had said to her, Galinda still cared for Nessa.

Nessa shook her head, took one final gulp of tea, and raced out of the café.

* * *

**Credit where credit is due- the random trivia generator website and my sci****ence teacher.**

**This chapter flew off my fingers. It only took two days to write! **

**Review? **


	5. Trouble With Cards

**rhinoiron: He did have to pay the bill.**

**ElphieIsPopular: I see what you did there...but that's not the problem.**

**LifelongLeahstar: I'm glad you got that into it! ;)**

**Fae'sFlower: Yeah, they aren't.**

**AirHawk19: You'll see... *evil grin***

* * *

By the time either realized what just happened, Nessa was long gone.

Elphaba gave Galinda one look, and the latter softened.

"Go." She said, gesturing to the door.

"Thanks Glin." Elphaba said gratefully, before running out after her sister.

"Nessa! Wait!" The green girl yelled, struggling to keep up with the younger Thropp. For someone who had been walking for only a week, she was fast. "Nessa!" She called again, but the girl in question made no intent of stopping.

About a minute later, Elphaba finally managed to catch up with Nessa. The former grabbed the latter's wrist, causing a startled yelp to escape from the ruby-slipper wearing girl. She turned, fixing her gaze on the ground and refusing to move it.

"Nessa, what's going on?" Elphaba asked slowly, concern lacing her voice.

"Nothing." Nessa mumbled, still not looking up.

"Then why did you run out?"

"I wasn't hungry, plus I'm not feeling too well." She whispered, not _entirely _lying. "I'm heading back to my room. Excuse me." She pulled back her arm, causing Elphaba to slightly tighten her grip.

"Nessie, what's _really_ going on?" Elphaba asked, her voice soft. With her fingertips, she gently tipped Nessa's chin upward so they were eye-to-eye.

"Nothing! I'm fine!" Nessa said harshly. "Let me go!" She demanded, pulling back again. Elphaba, never one to give up, did the opposite. She pulled Nessa in and wrapped her arms tightly around the struggling girl's slender frame.

"Easy. Down girl." Elphaba whispered soothingly as Nessa continued to fight.

"Elphaba! Let. Me. Go!" Nessa shouted. With a strength that terrified and surprised her, she shoved the green girl reeling backwards. Elphaba tripped and fell flat on her back on the sidewalk. She sat up, cursing at the awful stinging sensation in her hands. Blood seeped from the various scrapes that covered her palms.

Horrified at what she had done, Nessa took slow steps back, her mouth covered with a hand.

Elphaba was still focused on her hands, and when she looked up again, she was alone.

* * *

When the door opened to the room, a very bewildered Madame Morrible saw a blur in unmistakable red shoes fly through and slam the door into her room.

"What in Oz name?" She muttered, walking over to the adjacent room.

"Miss Nessarose?" Morrible called, softly knocking on the door.

"Not now Madame." The soft, yet firm, reply came. Morrible respected the request and returned to her work.

Nessa fell onto her bed, hugging a pillow tight to her stomach. As she buried her face in it, the conversation that had happened prior flooded her memory.

_Nessa sat alone in the corner booth, munching on her sandwich, absorbed in a book. Suddenly someone sat down across from her. She looked up, surprised to see Nieve sitting there._

"_Nieve? What are you doing here?" Nessa asked, dumbfounded, as she slid her book aside._

"_I came to see how things were going for you with your ruby slippers." Nieve smiled. "I see you're still wearing them. Good. Good." She added. "Well let's see them shall we?" _

_Nessa blushed and stood up, the ruby slippers faintly sparkling in the low light._

"_Ah! So you're still standing fine?" Nieve asked as Nessa sat down again. She nodded._

"_Any leg pain?" The older woman inquired._

"_No. I suppose the potion worked, although…" Nessa faltered, not ready to talk about the anger lashes._

"_Although what?" Nieve suddenly was curious._

"_I…I've been having these random anger flashes since you enchanted my shoes." Nessa said quietly._

"_Have you now?" Nieve asked, leaning forward and resting her chin in her palm._

"_Yeah. I can't control it. It's like something just…comes over me and I lash out at whoever is closest to me."_

"_Well, are you sure it wasn't like this before?"_

"_What do you mean?" Nessa asked, very confused._

"_Are you sure these thoughts weren't harbored somewhere? Gaining a new ability can bring out the side of someone they wanted to keep hidden." Nieve explained._

"_You don't think…" Nessa trailed off._

"_All magic comes with a price. Keep that in mind." Nieve said, before wishing the other girl the best and leaving the café and a stunned Nessa behind._

Shoving her pillow aside, she sat up, her arms loosely wrapped around her abdomen, worrying about her sister.

Suddenly, Nessa stopped regretting what she had done to Elphaba. It was as if someone had given her an emotional numbing agent that worked instantly. She almost felt…proud, as if she had done something right.

A satisfied smirk playing on her features, she walked over to the vanity and sat down. The girl studied her reflection, marveling at her beauty. But she failed to notice the evil gleam that shone in a flash of black in her eyes.

A sudden and unexpected ripple of pain shot through her chest. Her eyes widened and a hand flew to her chest as the pain coursed through her. She clenched her teeth and forced her eyes shut as she rest her forehead on the table.

After a few, albeit agonizingly long, moments, the pain seized as quickly as it came. She straightened up, confused at what had just happened. Ultimately she brushed it off as an awful flash of heartburn from the spicy mustard she had put on her sandwich.

_Damn spicy mustard. _She thought, chuckling softly.

* * *

The next three weeks passed swiftly and uneventfully. Nessa's cruel sense of humor had gotten slightly worse, and she felt so bad she started withdrawing herself from conversation with her friends. She was only heard saying the soft-spoken words of 'yes,' 'no,' or 'thank you.' It worried the others, but she constantly insisted she was fine.

Lurlinemas drew near, and all the students (and half the faculty) were itching for break. But the Friday before break, the students sat in their last class, praying for the clock to tick faster.

Nessa sat in Philosophy, chin in her palm, tapping her fingers on the table and looking quite bored. Professor Reapolo attempted to keep his class engaged by any means necessary, but he knew they were all already on vacation mode. His fifteen years of teaching had taught him that the glossed over look in their eyes and general unresponsiveness meant one of two things: they were zombies, or their brains were _anywhere _but on the lesson.

"Alright, I'm getting nowhere." He said, sighing and rubbing his eyes. "We have twenty minutes left of class." The class let out a tired, yet excited, cheer. "Let's make it fun." He smiled, rubbing his hands together.

The professor pulled out a deck of cards (which contained famous Ozians) and a list with everyone's name on it. He briefly described the game: he would draw a card and randomly call out a name, and that person would have to do an imitation of the person on the card.

He demonstrated by pulling out a card, the King Yetrium of the Vinkus from nearly one-hundred and fifty years ago, and did his best to imitate him, even pretending to draw a sword and ride a horse. The class chuckled a bit, so he knew this would work.

"Pazex the Great, one of the Saviors of Quox." He announced, then randomly pointed to a name on the list. "Ranem." The boy stood up slowly, slightly embarrassed, and recalled anything he knew of him. He snapped his fingers as he remembered a quote.

"Men," he started, using a gruff, Quoxen accent, "we have half as many men as they, but we shan't lose!" Ranem cried, raising his fist triumphantly. He began to laugh, and the class joined him.

Slowly but surely, Professor Reapolo worked his way through the cards and checked off student after student from the list. The class was surprised at how fun the game actually was.

"Duchess Mawena of the Gillikin…Nessarose." Everyone turned towards the brunette.

"Please, I don't want to." She said, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. Reapolo looked at her skeptically but agreed.

"But Professor!" A rich Gillikinese girl cried as she leapt to her feet. "Everyone else had to go."

"That's a good point...Miss Nessarose, everyone else has gone. You're the only person left." Professor Reapolo asked, turning towards the girl.

"No. I don't wish to. Nessa said firmly.

"Miss Nessarose…everyone else has gone except you-" Reapolo started, not expecting the girl to leap out of her seat, fuming.

"I DON'T WANT TO GO!" She shouted, silencing and surprising everyone in the room. She opened her mouth to say more, but the last bell rang. Terrified, the class raced out of the room, forgetting that it was officially Lurlinemas break.

Nessa, after regaining her composure, awkwardly picked up her bag.

"Sorry Professor." She whispered, before she too disappeared from the classroom.

* * *

"Fabala?" The soft call came from the hall, accompanied by three quiet knocks. Elphaba opened the door for Nessa, who carried a leather suitcase. "Ready?" She asked.

"Ready." Elphaba repeated, grabbing her own case and pulling on a jacket.

The two walked down to meet the waiting carriage. Galinda, Boq, and Fiyero all stood there, waiting to see the Thropp sisters off.

"I'll see you in two weeks Glin." Elphaba said, hugging her best friend.

"Bye Elphie! I'll miss you!" The blonde said, returning the hug.

A cough was heard, and Elphaba turned to see Fiyero standing there.

"Remember me? Your boyfriend?" He asked. Elphaba rolled her eyes, released Galinda, and walked over to Fiyero.

"Shut up Yero." She said, pulling him into a kiss. Fiyero was slightly shocked at first, but began to kiss her back.

"Can you believe those two?" Galinda asked, turning to Nessa and Boq. She found them also lip-locked. The blonde sighed.

"I need a boyfriend." She stood awkwardly, waiting for the couples to finish. They finally did, and Galinda glared at all of them, which got her a few sheepish looks in return.

The Thropps got into the carriage and waved as they rolled off. Galinda, Fiyero, and Boq all stayed until the carriage was a speck on the horizon line. They travelled in silence for a while, Elphaba was buried in a novel and Nessa was trading off between admiring the passing scenery and picking at her nails. Elphaba looked up and saw the slightly distressed look on Nessa's face.

"Nessie?" Elphaba asked, putting aside her book.

"Yes?" Nessa responded.

"Something's troubling you." Elphaba observed. "What is it?" She reached out to take her sister's hand, but Nessa pulled away quickly.

"Look we're here." She pointed out, dodging the question. Elphaba looked out the window, and it was true. They were home.

The Governor's Mansion.

* * *

**So things are getting worse with good ol' Nessa…**

**Anyone who can guess my favorite line gets a shout out.**

**Virtual chocolate for reviewers!**


	6. Meeting of the Leaders

**So no one got my favorite line, which was Galinda's remark about needing a boyfriend.**

**AirHawk19: No she won't.**

**ElphieIsPopular: You have NO idea. *smirks***

**LifelongLeahstar: Have some then. *virtual chocolate* **

**msjartgirl: YOU'VE RETURNED! YAY! Aw thanks!**

**rhinoiron: That reference though!**

**Frex is nice in this story. No matter how unconventional it is. Some Fiyeraba to satisfy your needs.**

* * *

Nieve stood in the doorway of her shop, watching another customer leave. She sighed and leaned against the doorframe, enjoying the cold breeze and allowing it to air out her stuffy shop. She remained there for a minute, before remembering something. Smirking, she walked through her shop quickly. Nieve stopped in the back room, and began to search for the desired object.

A trunk sat alone in the corner, and when Nieve's stormy grey eyes fell upon it, she smiled. She hurried over and unlocked the magic lock she had cast on the box. Inside was a heart shaped mirror. Nieve chanted a quick incantation and the mirror rippled, and about a quarter of the red frame turned black.

When the mirror cleared, the vision she saw made her smile.

_Everything is going according to plan._ She thought, a satisfied smirk on her face.

* * *

As soon as the footman opened the carriage door, Nessa jumped out as if a savage beast was in the carriage. She did as she had planned to do and sat down in the wheelchair that had made the trip, her long skirt covering the ruby slippers. Elphaba followed her out of the carriage, a bit confused at first, but then understood what Nessa was doing. She hadn't told Father, and she wanted to surprise him too. Elphaba smiled at her sister's antics, but played along nonetheless.

Frexspar walked out of the mansion when he heard voices and carriage doors. His face lit up when he saw his two daughters amidst the white, snow-covered abyss of the front lawn.

"Fabala! Nessie!" He shouted happily, running towards them. The two girls turned away from the men getting their luggage, to see Frex coming towards them.

"Father!" They both cried, going to meet him halfway up the walk. He collected them into a hug, which was awkward considering Nessa's chair.

"Come inside! I'll have the chefs fix some hot chocolate for both of you." He said, stepping behind Nessa's chair and pushing her inside, while his other arm was wrapped around Elphaba's shoulders.

The maids and servants warmly greeted the two girls, before hurrying off to make their beverages. Both girls retired to their rooms to unpack, and a short while later they were summoned for dinner.

Plates of food sat on the table. Various meats, vegetables, and dinner rolls covered the table. Nessa and Elphaba filled their plates and ate quickly.

"So how is Shiz?" Frex asked, dabbing his lip with a napkin.

"Oh it's great! Fabala and I have great friends and classes are going well." Nessa said between bites.

"Who are your friends?" Their father asked.

"Well there's Galinda Upland-" Nessa started, but Elphaba interjected.

"Of the Upper Uplands." Elphaba said, knowing how much the blonde hated when people didn't use her full title.

"Fiyero Tiggular." Nessa listed off next.

"My boyfriend." Elphaba said softly. Frex raised his eyebrows but kept silent. "And Boq." The green girl said, knowing that Frex was already familiar with the Munchkin.

"Ah yes Boq!" Frex smiled. _Nice boy,_ he thought.

"My boyfriend." Nessa shared shyly, rubbing her arm. They continued their conversation on classes as they finished the meal.

"Well it sounds like you two are happy." Frex smiled.

"We have one more surprise for you Father." Elphaba said, slyly looking at Nessa.

"And that would be…?" The man asked, not understanding what his daughters could surprise him with.

Nessa rolled out to the center of the dining room, motioning for Frex to follow.

"Are you ready?" She asked, a wild gleam in her eyes.

"I suppose." Frex responded, quite curious. Before his very eyes, Nessa stood up out of her chair, the ruby slippers coming into plain view.

"Nessarose?" He furiously rubbed his eyes and pinched his forearm, as if it was a dream.

"Yes Father, I'm really standing!" She said excitedly.

"How?!" Frex demanded.

"A magic apothecary in the Gillikin!" Elphaba said, walking over and linking arms with her sister.

Frex's eyes widened.

"A…magic what?" He whispered.

"A magic apothecary." Nessa repeated, becoming unsure.

"Was her name…by chance…Nieve?" Frex asked softly.

"Yes that was her name. Do you know her somehow?" Nessa cocked her head to the side. Frex was staring off at a spot above her head, his eyes glossed over as if he was in a trance.

"Father?" Elphaba said softly, waving a hand in front of his face. He snapped back to the real world and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Yes I know her. She was…an old friend." The sisters looked at each other, wanting to press further, but decided it was too touchy a subject and let it drop.

"Let us have some dessert shall we?" Frex asked, sitting back down at the table.

* * *

"Good night Nessie." Frex said softly to the slumbering girl, gently kissing her forehead. He left the room, closing the door behind him, before going to Elphaba's room and repeating the process. The mansion was dark and all the servants were already in their quarters, and the Governor was the only one not asleep.

Frex retreated to his study; locking the door and closing the blinds. Looking around, his gaze fell on the loose footboard near the corner of the room. He hurried over to it, and not caring if he got splinters or made noise, he ripped up the board. In the space below was a small box. Hands shaking, he reached in and gently grasped it and pulled it out.

Looking around nervously, his fingers fiddled with the latch and threw the box open.

A series of notes and letters littered the bottom, but they were all held down by a knife. Frex's large hand wrapped around the dainty hilt of the knife and removed it from the box. It was silver bladed, with fine leather making the grip, tied down by golden threads.

It had been a secret of his, not even Elphaba or Nessarose knew about. In his other hand, several of the letters and notes were clutched, all with the same first line.

_Dear my darling Frexspar._

Just holding them made memories flood back to him, filled with guilt and despair. Fear took over him, causing him to quickly and messily shove all the contents back in the box and slam it shut. He placed the box back in its hiding place and put the floorboard overtop. He backed away slowly, his hand groping towards the door handle.

"I'm sorry." He whispered softly, before opening the door and leaving the study.

* * *

"Girls I have something important to tell you." Frex said a few mornings later over breakfast. Elphaba and Nessa turned towards their father, giving him their full attention.

"Later today some…guests will be arriving." He continued.

"Guests?" Elphaba asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The King and Queen of the Vinkus, Duke and Duchess of the Gillikin, and two Ambassadors from Quox will be coming here for a biennial meeting of leaders." He explained.

"That means…" Nessa started.

"Fiyero and Galinda will come too!" Elphaba finished for her. The two sisters looked at each other and smiled broadly.

"Well that means you two will be occupied." Frex chuckled.

The Thropps quickly finished eating and raced off to get ready. Frex dressed in his finest robes, while Nessa and Elphaba put on their nicest outfits. Elphaba dressed in a long, dark blue skirt and a light pink blouse with short sleeves, which was a gift from Galinda. Nessa put on a grey dress that hit just below her knees, with elbow length sleeves and a bright red belt.

"You look lovely Nessie." Elphaba complimented at the sight of her sister.

"You too! You look…popular!" Nessa said, smirking and tossing her hair. Elphaba let out a laugh, and linked arms with her sister, before the two descended the steps to see if any help was needed.

A few hours later, the two ambassadors arrived first. A man and a woman. The Thropps quickly ordered themselves correctly: Frex, Elphaba, and then Nessa. It was customary for the eldest child to be directly next to the Governor, who was first, and then would be followed by the other children after them.

"Welcome, welcome!" Frex greeted, giving them a firm handshake.

"Good afternoon." Elphaba said softly, extending her hand. The Ambassadors did a quick once over before loosely shaking her hand. Elphaba felt a gentle squeeze on her other hand, and turned to see her sister with a reassuring smile on her face.

"Hello!" Nessa said brightly, waving to the Ambassadors.

"Please introduce yourselves!" Frex said, leading them to a large hall in the east wing, where the meeting would take place.

"My name is Variet. Pleased to meet you." The man introduced himself.

"I'm Illanora, pleasure to be here." The woman said.

"Please make yourselves comfortable, the other leaders will be arriving shortly." Frex said when they reached the room. He then barked at a servant to bring out the hors-d'oeuvres. The servant saluted quickly before going to the kitchen and returning shortly with a plate of cheeses, crackers, and meats.

The Thropps made small talk with the Ambassadors before they heard carriage wheels and horses.

"Excuse us. We have to go greet the guests." Frex said politely, before turning and leaving with his daughters on his tail.

Two footmen opened the door and Duke Khylan and Duchess Lolitta entered the foyer. They were met with warm, polite welcomes. They didn't seem the slightest bit phased at Elphaba's skin.

_Obviously Galinda told them. _Elphaba thought. _Speak of the devil. _She thought when a blur of pink and gold flew up the steps.

"ELPHIEEEEEEEE!" Galinda shrieked, running in and nearly tackling the green girl in a bear hug. Elphaba was startled at first, but then returned the hug.

"Hey Glin." Elphaba whispered as Galinda pulled back. She was wearing a gold and pink dress with short sleeves that went down to her knees.

"Hi Galinda." Nessa said softly, tucking a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear.

"Oh hello Nessa." Galinda said, a very slight touch of bitterness in her voice that didn't go unnoticed by either Thropp sister.

"Elphie! We have so much to catch up on!" Galinda said, reverting her attention to the green girl.

"Glin it's been five days." Elphaba pointed out.

"Five days too many!" The blonde said exasperatedly.

Galinda went on a rant to Elphaba about a boy she had met while they followed their parents to the meeting room and Frex caught up with Lolitta and Khylan about how they had been the past two years. The leaders of the four provinces were often close friends outside of the political circuit. Nessa awkwardly followed in the back, playing with her hair and listening to Galinda, though not participating.

After a few minutes, the final carriage arrived. King Issex and Queen Carmin of the Vinkus entered the mansion with Fiyero close behind.

"Fae!" He exclaimed, running up to meet his girlfriend with a poppy in his hand.

"Yero!" She said with equal excitement. He pulled her close to him and was quick to kiss her.

"Fifi!" Galinda attacked Fiyero with a hug as well, once he had broken away from Elphaba.

"Hi Glin." Fiyero smiled, gently prying the blonde off of him and straightening his royal outfit.

"Hey Fiyero." Nessa said.

"Hi Nessarose." Fiyero responded, still smiling.

Everyone walked to the hall and the leaders took their seats.

"Go off now!" Frex said firmly to the younger adults, before closing the doors to the hall. Fiyero wrapped an arm around Elphaba's shoulders and lead the group away. Galinda stood next to Elphaba, linking arms with the green girl. Nessa walked next to Fiyero, keeping a distance between herself and the prince.

Elphaba decided to show them the gardens. Once they got outside, they went straight to the fountain. The couple sat on the edge of the fountain snuggled together, while Galinda went off to pick flowers. Nessa awkwardly walked off in the other direction, claiming she needed to clear her head.

"I love you Fae." Fiyero said, nuzzling the green girl's hair.

"I love you too Yero." Elphaba said softly, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the prince's chest.

* * *

**Almost at 50 reviews...who will it be?**

**Fae'sFlower: This was already planned out before you posted. Just so you know I'm not ripping you off...**


	7. Consequences

**Lots of interesting stuff in this chapter...that's all I'm gonna say about that...**

**AloneAndFree-CreatingMyself: Weirdness is a virtue!**

**Wanli8970: Keep reading. *smirks***

**Fae'sFlower: Your review made me laugh and smirk.**

**Congrats to ElphieIsPopular for being the 50th reviewer! *insert virtual dessert***

* * *

Because the sun was setting and dinner would be ready shortly, the young adults made their way back inside. Galinda and Fiyero went off to unpack, leaving the sisters alone.

"Nessie?" Elphaba asked tentatively.

"Hmm?" Nessa turned to face Elphaba.

"Just…if you can…try to control your temper tonight."

"But you know how it's been…"

"Tell you what," Elphaba gripped Nessa's shoulders. "If you need to get out of there, tap my leg three times."

"And?"

"We'll come up with some excuse to leave." Elphaba smiled.

* * *

"Wait, something doesn't make sense."

Everyone looked up from dinner to see Carmin with a confused look on her face.

"Nessarose, last time we saw you weren't you in a wheelchair? Frexspar did one of those correctional surgeries finally work?" She asked.

"No, she…um…" Frex faltered, unsure of how to proceed.

"I have enchanted slippers!" She finished, beaming. A collective gasp was heard from the visiting adults.

"Care to show?" Khylan asked.

Nessa stood up and walked to where the other adults could see her shoes.

"Those are exquisite!" Lolitta exclaimed. Her eyes carefully traced each and every detail of the ruby slippers.

"They befit the future governor of Munchkinland!" Nessa said brightly, causing Frex and Elphaba to freeze.

"Nessa, you know how the procession works-" Frex started but was cut off. Elphaba spotted the look on Nessa's face and made to move but didn't. Something stopped her.

"Yes that you're going to have the next Thropp run Munchkinland worse?"

The room went dead silent. No one said a word. The maids and servants slowly backed out of the room.

"You've already made Munchkinland awful. You've cut off trade with several of the best importers, and cut funding for things that need it! I would be a much better Governor than you will ever be!" She shouted, pointing at her father, a dark sneer on her face.

If Frex was enraged, you couldn't tell. He kept a calm face as he walked over, grabbed his daughter by the elbow and pulled her up the stairs without saying a word.

Everyone at the table, including the maids and servants, sat staring at the empty space where Nessa stood just moments before.

"What just happened?" Carmin asked, trying to process what had occurred.

The silence was filled when muffled shouts were heard from upstairs. Unconsciously, everyone moved towards the stairs in attempt to hear what was being said.

"…and I will not accept this behavior! You _will _watch your mouth! We have guests! Royals no less!" Frex said.

"And if I don't?" Nessa demanded, her voice dripping with sass.

"You will no longer be recognized as part of the Thropp family." He said calmly, no emotion present in his words.

To the eavesdroppers, that statement hit them like a ton of bricks. They all knew how much Frexspar loved his second born daughter.

A few more choice words were heard from Nessa. They were snapped back into reality when they heard a smack, the slam of a door, and pounding footsteps growing nearer. They all rushed back to their respective seats just as Frex reached the bottom of the steps, as if nothing had happened.

"Now, let's get back to dinner shall we?" Frex said, like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. "And Elphaba?"

"Hm?" She asked.

"You're my new favorite." Frex said bluntly. Elphaba shoved a forkful of salad in her mouth and looked to Fiyero and Galinda, who both just shrugged.

* * *

"I feel like we should check on her." Elphaba said as she, Fiyero, and Galinda walked up the stairs.

"Elphie I'm sure she's fine!" Galinda assured her.

"But-" Elphaba tried.

"Fae, Nessarose is fine." Fiyero insisted, gently taking her hand. Elphaba pulled away.

"I'm going to check on her." She said, before quickly walking down to Nessa's room.

"Nessie?" Elphaba called, gently tapping on the door.

"Go away." The soft reply came. Elphaba sighed, contemplating opening the door and going in.

"Nessie." She tried again.

"Go away!" Nessa said again. A _thump _and something hit the door, presumably a pillow.

"Lurline above help me." Elphaba muttered, before grabbing the knob and opening the door. Nessa was curled up on the bed, still in her formal wear and her ruby shoes were on her feet.

"Nessa?" She asked softly, closing the door behind her. The girl lifted her head, and at the sight of her sister, put it down again.

"I told you to go away." She growled.

"Have we met? I'm your sister. I don't listen." Elphaba smirked as she sat down on the edge of Nessa's bed.

"Well _I _don't want any visitors, so for the last time, get out!" Nessa exclaimed, sitting up. Elphaba gasped at the sight of the dark bruise on her cheek, slightly veiled by a thin curtain of brown hair.

"What happened?" Elphaba asked softly, reaching out and gently touching the mark, causing Nessa to flinch at the contact.

"Father…he…" Nessa whispered. "I was proud." She finished.

"Of what?"

"I stood up for myself. I spoke my mind, no matter how bad it was. He wasn't happy…you can figure out the rest." Nessa said softly. "It's…almost like…I can't feel…regret." She whispered, the last word almost inaudible.

"What do you mean?" Elphaba asked in a hushed tone.

"It's almost like I can't feel remorse for any of the people I hurt. Galinda, Father…even you. I feel…proud of myself each time." The younger girl said. She sniffled, and Elphaba noticed the tears welling in her eyes.

"Father hates me now." She went on. "Galinda and Fiyero are starting to not care about me."

"That's not true and you know it." Elphaba said firmly.

"Are you blind? I've seen it almost every time I'm with them! Galinda only talks to me with bitterness, and Fiyero refuses to call me anything but Nessarose!" Nessa said, exasperated, before flopping backwards on the bed.

Suddenly she gasped and shot upright. One hand was clutched tightly over her chest, the other curled into a tight fist. Elphaba, unsure of what to do, grabbed Nessa's free hand and held it tightly. The younger Thropp's breaths were short and shallow as pained expressions graced her features for a few long minutes, but then returned to normal.

"What was that?" Elphaba asked, utterly confused.

"I have no idea, I've been getting these weird chest pains. I have no clue where they came from or why they're happening. I thought they were heartburn...but it's definitely not." Nessa explained once she regained her breath. She laid back and closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted.

Elphaba opened her mouth to say more, but hesitated. She fully took in the state her sister was in, and decided to give her some space. Silently, she stood up and went to the door.

"I love you Nessie. Always have and always will." The green girl whispered before closing the door.

Nessa laid on the bed for hours, until an idea wormed its way into her mind. She couldn't ignore it. Jumping up, she hurried over to her desk. She opened and rummaged through every drawer, looking for what she needed. In the final drawer she opened, buried in leather, lie the desired object.

Nessarose Thropp knew what she needed to do.

* * *

"Sir?" One of the maids asked tentatively, seeing Frexspar at the table the next morning.

"Yes?" He asked, setting down his steaming mug of tea.

"Miss Nessarose has not been seen at all this morning." She said. Elphaba looked up from her bowl of oatmeal. It was getting late into the morning, and everyone had already dressed and was or had been at the table.

Shoveling a final bite of oatmeal into her mouth, Elphaba took off up the stairs and quickly went to Nessa's room.

"Nessie?" She asked quietly, knocking lightly on the door.

Silence.

"Nessa?" She called again, louder.

No response.

Elphaba gripped the knob and tried to open it.

Locked.

"NESSAROSE OPEN THIS DOOR!" Elphaba yelled, shaking the knob roughly.

The green girl sighed, realizing what to do. She closed her eyes as she felt her magic course through her. The door shot open like a rocket.

Elphaba ran inside the empty room. Desk drawers were lying open, as if they had been ransacked. The bed was disheveled. But what worried her most were the curtains that were blowing in the breeze coming in the open window. She sprinted down the stairs.

"Nessa is missing." Elphaba said breathlessly. Everyone at the table and in the room froze.

"What do you mean she's missing?" Illanora asked.

"I _mean _her window's open, her room is trashed, and she's nowhere to be seen!" Elphaba said, fighting to keep the panic out of her voice but losing.

"Sir!" A stable boy called, bursting into the room. He did a quick salute, before continuing. "One of our stallions is missing."

* * *

The grey and brown horse shot through the countryside, the rider's cloak trailing behind them. A flick of the reigns from the rider commanded the stallion to move faster. The rider touched their belt, feeling the cool metal hilt of the dagger peeking out from under scabbard it rested in. Their destination was coming up quickly. The horse slowed slightly, and the rider slid off smoothly.

"Stay." They commanded the horse, before marching up to the house.

Nieve sat at her small desk, scribbling notes and potion recipes. Suddenly, she was pulled up and was face to face with a person in a cloak.

"What did you do to me?" They growled, the dagger in their hands.

"I've done lots of things to lots of people. Please specify this case." Nieve said innocently.

"Look down." The person said. Nieve did so.

Ruby slippers.

"Ah Miss Nessarose, what a…pleasant surprise." Nieve smirked.

"What. Did. You. Do. To. Me?!" Nessa demanded, her voice and dagger raising with each word.

"I simply opened the darkest corner of your mind." The apothecary shrugged.

"That is _not _what you did. So tell me the truth before I use this." Nessa growled, the dagger still clutched tightly in her hand.

Nieve sneered and raised a hand up. An invisible shock wave threw Nessa sprawling backwards, her dagger flying out of her reach. She landed atop a table, breaking it, and sending the contents flying. An awful pain shot through her head, and she delicately touched the back of her head. A sticky liquid seeped onto her fingers. Blood.

"You listen to me." Nieve whispered in a low voice, grabbing Nessa's collar. "Don't poke your nose in things you don't understand. I'm the witch. I did what you ask, so you live with the consequences."

While the apothecary talked, Nessa crept to the side, before her hand closed around the hilt of her dagger. She whipped her hand up and banged the hilt against Nieve's head, not hard enough to kill her, but enough to knock her out. The apothecary stopped mid-sentence and fell sideways, unconscious. The girl managed to get to her feet, but her world was spinning around her.

"Must…find the…book." She stumbled about, attempting to get her bearings, but the room was spinning faster. Nessa, groping the wall, made her way into the back room. Her eyes, albeit foggy, scanned the wall of books and fell upon the leather tome Nieve had used that fateful day. She grabbed it, before wobbling out of the house.

"Take us…home." Nessa told the horse, slipping into the saddle. The stallion turned, and detecting the rider's state of well-being, took off like a shot back to the Governor's Mansion.

* * *

**Video I think all of you will like-**

**Wicked Medley- Peter Hollens and Nick Pitera**


	8. I Won't Give Up

**Fae'sFlower: Questions, questions.**

**Wanli8970: OUaT! *high five***

**LifelongLeahstar: I was trying for a mystery element...it didn't work.**

**ElphieIsPopular: It won't end there...you're going to hate her by the end...probably...**

* * *

Frex stared out the window of the carriage he rode in. They were out searching far and wide for the missing girl, but it seemed she had disappeared.

They asked all the locals if any of them had seen anything, and they all denied sighting the missing Thropp.

The Governor sighed, rubbing his eyes. A voice in his head was telling him he'd been too hard on her, that he'd made her run away.

_My sweet Nessarose. Where are you?_

* * *

Elphaba was pacing the library floor, while Fiyero attempted to calm her down with the help of Galinda.

"Fae, she'll be fine."

"Yero-" Elphaba started to protest.

"Elphie listen to Fifi, Nessa's fine." Galinda insisted.

"My SISTER is out in who-knows-where, and you're telling me to be calm?!" Elphaba shouted. Luckily they were the only ones in the library.

She looked out one of the windows, and her eyes widened when a horse was seen trotting up.

"You know I'm gonna…go…" She stuttered.

Elphaba, equally nervous and excited, ran out of the library. Her boots thumped on the floor until she reached the doorway. It was true. A grey and brown stallion was drinking heavily out of a trough, a caped rider lazily atop.

The rider slid off the saddle, obviously dazed, and would have fallen over if green arms hadn't been there to catch them.

"I got you Nessa." Elphaba whispered soothingly, lowering the two of them to the ground.

"Book...read the book…get Elphaba to read the book…" Nessa muttered, oblivious to company.

"Nessa?" Elphaba asked.

"The shoes…the book…" Nessa rambled on.

"Nessie!" Elphaba shook the younger girl's shoulders. Nessa's eyes were fuzzy but she focused on her sister.

"Elphaba read the…book…" The girl pushed the stolen book out into Elphaba's chest. The green girl took the book and opened to the bookmarked page.

"Nessa…this is just a spell."

"What…spell?"

"To grant the ability to walk to a suffering person. Where did you get this?" Elphaba demanded, growing worried.

"Potion…must've been the…potion!" Nessa cried, ignoring her sister's question.

"What potion? Nessa you're talking nonsense." Elphaba shook her head.

"Black…potion…" Nessa finished, before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in her sister's arms.

"Nessa?" Elphaba asked tentatively. Blood ran down the brunette's neck. Worried, Elphaba removed the hood her sister was wearing and she saw it.

A deep, bleeding gash across the back of Nessa's head.

The green girl froze, but it didn't take long for her sisterly instinct to kick in, and she picked up her sister and carried her back into the house.

"Where's the nurse?" Elphaba shouted, looking around to the bustling wait staff.

Nurse Dwalock was quickly summoned and hurried into the room. She was an older woman, but a miracle worker when it came to any and all things medicine and healing. Her green eyes swiftly assessed the situation, and when they fell upon the bleeding brunette, the older woman understood.

"Give her to me." The Nurse said, her voice soft and smooth. Elphaba hesitantly put her sister in the Nurse's arms. Despite her tall frame, Nessa was quite light.

"Make sure she's okay!" Elphaba called, her voice fading, as Nurse Dwalock carried Nessa away.

"Elphie what happened?!" Galinda shrieked, flying down the stairs at hearing the panic in the green girl's voice.

"Fae what's the matter?" Fiyero asked calmly, following the blonde into the foyer.

"It's…it's Nessa." Elphaba whispered, her voice shaking.

"What happened?" Galinda asked, her interest and worry fading ever so slightly.

"She," Elphaba held her breath, then released it, "She returned on a horse with this strange spell book. She made me read a spell, and when I told her what it meant, she rambled on about a black potion. Then she collapsed in my arms and blood was running down her neck. She had a huge gash on the back of her head, but I have no idea where it came from." The green girl explained. Fiyero sensed his girlfriend's distress and pulled her onto the couch in his arms. Galinda followed suit and plopped onto her other side, effectively trapping her in a hug and remaining that way for several minutes.

"Something's going on. Something we have yet to figure out." Elphaba whispered. Fiyero and Galinda both released her.

"Elphie?" Galinda asked, unsure of where Elphaba was going.

"Look, I know you both are becoming slightly apathetic towards Nessa –apathetic means not caring Glin-" Elphaba quickly interjected, seeing the blonde's confused face, "but something is going on."

"What do you think is going on Fae?" Fiyero asked.

Before Elphaba said more, the Nurse walked back into the room.

"Is she alright?" Elphaba demanded, jumping up.

"She'll be fine." Nurse Dwalock said, allowing Elphaba to release her breath. "You can go see her if you'd like."

Elphaba made no hesitation as she hurried to the room Nessa was in.

"Nessie?" She asked softly, walking slowly towards the bed. Nessa had a large bandage wrapped around her head, but gave her sister a small smile.

"Hey." The brunette whispered, her voice hoarse.

"How are you feeling?" Elphaba asked, taking her sister's hand.

"My head still-" She winced, "hurts."

"Do you remember anything?"

"I was…with Nieve…the apothecary and then…it's fuzzy." She closed her eyes.

"Nessa?" Galinda asked, poking her head around the corner, followed by Fiyero.

"Hi." Nessa whispered, motioning for them to come in.

"What happened?" Fiyero took a seat next to Elphaba.

"Honestly, I have no idea."

There was a knock at the front door.

"I'll go get it, you two stay here." Elphaba said, before getting up and leaving.

"Look, we're sorry. Elphaba told us…Nessa?" Galinda paused, noticing the brunette's pained expression.

"Ahhhhh!" She cried, clutching a hand over her chest. She was breathing hard, and her eyes were squeezed shut.

"NESSA!" They both shouted, unsure of what was happening.

* * *

"Hello." Elphaba greeted, seeing a grey eyed woman at the door.

"Oh hello, this is the Governor's home correct?" The woman asked.

"Yes, but he's not home. Did you have anything you wanted to discuss with him?"

"No, no. I'm here to speak with Miss Nessarose, I believe she has something of mine."

"What is your name?" Elphaba asked, feeling she knew where this was going.

"My name is Nieve, I'm an apothecary. And you?" Nieve asked, extending her hand.

"I'm Elphaba, Nessarose's sister." Elphaba gently shook the woman's hand, getting slightly angry. "What of your's do you think my sister has?"

"A book of spells." Nieve replied without missing a beat.

"Let me just go look…" Elphaba grabbed the book that Nessa had brought home.

"This it?" She asked when she returned to the door.

"Ah yes! That little thief took it from me!" Nieve reached out to grab it, but Elphaba pulled it away.

"You know what's funny? I can read spells. She showed me an enchantment that you cast on her shoes and then she went on about a potion? What potion?" Elphaba asked in a very slightly condescending tone.

"Oh it was a potion that was used to activate the unused muscles in her legs." Nieve explained, not taking her gaze off of the book.

"But the spell didn't require a potion." Elphaba put in.

"Yes it did." Nieve said in firm tone.

"Listen lady, you're going to tell me the truth. What did you do to my sister?" Elphaba said in a low, yet calm voice.

"Why do you both think I did something wrong? For Oz-sake I gave your sister the ability to walk!"

"Yes, but now she has frequent chest pains and anger outbursts at people she cares about." The green girl said, her voice still calm.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her. Magic comes with a price. Her getting the ability to walk is opening the dark corner of her mind." With that, Nieve grabbed the book and disappeared in a plume of smoke.

"Elphaba who was that?" Lolitta asked, rushing down the stairs into the room.

_Tell them! _Her conscious told her. _Nieve is evil! She's not who she says she is! This is the Duchess of the Gillikin she might know something!_

"Just someone who wanted something returned to them." Elphaba said, fighting her conscious. She didn't want to tell something that she didn't have the facts to back up.

"Who?" The Duchess asked.

"No one." Elphaba said with a bite in her tone. Lolitta got the signal and stopped asking questions and left the room.

"Elphie!" Galinda ran in.

"Fae!" Fiyero followed.

"Something happened!" Galinda exclaimed.

"What?" Elphaba breathed with urgency.

"Nessa…she had some sort of chest attack…thingy…" Galinda waved her hand, not being able to describe the situation.

"Again?" Elphaba muttered.

"It's happened before?" Fiyero asked.

"Once or twice I think." The green girl explained. "Is she alright?"

"She's asleep…but before she did she fired off again. But different this time." Galinda said, playing and twisting her hair.

"What did she say?" Galinda leaned in and whispered Nessa's words into Elphaba's ear. "Why do you think she said that?"

"I don't know. I can't figure it out, despite my talking to the apothecary just now."

"You were?" Fiyero stepped closer.

"She wanted her book back, so she stopped by. But I couldn't get any information out of her." Elphaba said with a sad shake of her head.

"It's alright Fae. We'll find out eventually." The Prince whispered in a soft tone. "Let's go see her." He offered. The trio walked through the mansion to find Nessa asleep on the bed, and for once she looked calm.

"_I won't give up on us. Even if the skies get rough, I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up._" Elphaba sang softly.

At that moment, there were almost a hundred people in the mansion.

No one but the blonde and the prince heard her.

* * *

Never had the Governor of Munchkinland dreaded returning home so much. He had been out scouting for his daughter for three days, with no results. Nessarose Thropp had disappeared from society entirely.

He didn't want to tell Elphaba that Nessa was still out there, and was most likely dead. Frex clambered out of the carriage, his joints cracking as he slowly approached the front door.

The wait staff was rushing around per usual, and the guests were nowhere to be seen.

"Please go get Elphaba." He told a passing servant gently. Only a few moments passed before the green girl entered the room.

"Father?" Elphaba asked.

"Fabala I have something to tell you, it's about Nessa." Frex said solemnly.

"Father-" Elphaba started, but the older man cut her off.

"Elphaba listen, she hasn't been seen in three days."

"I know Father-"

"Elphaba! She's…well she's…" Frex stuttered.

"Father?" A new voice said.

The Governor turned.

Time stopped.

Nessarose.

She was there.

"Nessie?" He whispered almost inaudibly.

"Hello Father." She said with a soft smile.

"You're alive? A-and you're here?" He asked, taking a step closer.

"Yes and yes." Nessa laughed. She was quickly pulled into a hug by her father.

"Don't ever do anything like that again." He said sternly, looking her deep in the eyes when she pulled away moments later.

"I won't." She whispered, and Frex pulled her in again. Nessa extended a hand out, signaling Elphaba to come in. Elphaba hesitantly took her hand and joined the two. Frex moved an arm around Elphaba's back, pulling his two daughters close to him.

"I love you both so much." He said.

"We love you too Father." The girls responded, their voices harmonious.

* * *

**Song used- I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz**

**VIDEO OF THE DAY! We Deserve Each Other Reprise (original Wicked Witch of the East) IT'S AMAZING!**


	9. Losing Myself

**So...the reviews split three ways. **

**1.) Those of you ready to murder Nieve (looking at you rhinoiron)**

**2.) Those of you who want to know what Nessa said (you will find out eventually).**

**3.) Those of you who want both of the above.**

**They all made me smirk, laugh, or both.**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. And it's cliffie... **

* * *

"Broke."

The single word was uttered.

Again.

"Almost."

The speaker smiled cruelly.

"Not this time." They said, staring into a near shattered mirror.

"Not today."

* * *

Three weeks later, spring term was in high gear. The students were slowly accumulating more homework and assignments.

But despite the homework load, the friends always found time to see each other. Boq and Nessa grew closer, as did Fiyero and Elphaba, and there were days where all five of them were found taking walks in the snow.

One Saturday, the girls went out for lunch at a restaurant off campus. Nessa had called ahead and got them a reservation, saving them from the close-to-an-hour wait that came with the restaurant's lunch crowd.

"Table for 'Nessarose'?" Nessa asked the host as they entered. The young man nodded and pulled out three menus. He ushered them to a table nestled in the corner.

A waitress brought them drinks and they placed their orders.

"Cheers." Elphaba smiled, raising her cup.

"Cheers." The other two women echoed back, clinking their drinks together and taking a sip.

The service was fast and their meals were on the table in less than twenty minutes.

Elphaba and Galinda dove into their lunches, hunger overtaking them both. Nessa picked at her salad, her appetite suddenly lost.

"Nessa?" Galinda asked, dabbing her mouth with her napkin.

At the sound of the blonde's voice, something snapped in Nessa's mind. She felt _it _happening again. Anger and adrenaline was pulsing through her, causing her to want to curse out the closest person. She felt a tiny scrap of restraint, and it was enough for her to get out of the restaurant.

"Pardon me." She whispered.

Nessa jumped up and fled from the table and the eatery to the backside of the establishment. She paced momentarily, cursing at non-existent objects. The aggression coursed through her again. Nessa turned sharply and thrust her fist at the stone wall of the building. Pain shot through her knuckles and wrist.

"Oz-dammit!" She swore, shaking out her hand. Blood was dripping from the cuts on her knuckles.

"Need some help?"

Nessarose turned and was surprised to see Nieve standing in front of her.

"You!" The girl growled, her face darkening.

"Yes, it is I." Nieve smiled innocently. "Need some help?" She asked again.

"Nothing from you." Nessa said, fighting to keep calm.

"Oh but I think you do." The apothecary waved a hand, and Nessa's wounds instantly closed with no sign of ever being there.

"What do you want from me?"

"Do I have to want anything to come see an…old friend?" Nieve's voice was sickly sweet as she gently touched Nessa's face, causing the younger girl to roughly pull away. "I wanted to give you a present." She smiled and handed Nessa a small box. The girl had a confused expression as she opened the box and found a heart shaped mirror that was half red and half black.

"What is this?" Nessa asked, inspecting the mirror.

"Something that has significant importance in your life now. Don't lose it. Don't break it. You'll regret it if you do." Nieve said cryptically before disappearing.

"Someday…" Nessa whispered, looking into the mirror. It seemed completely ordinary, except for the fact of its odd coloration. She could feel it in her fingertips that it had some sort of magic in it, but whatever it was wasn't evident.

Nessa tucked the box under a garbage bag and tucked the mirror into her jacket pocket, and made her way back into the restaurant.

"Where'd you go?" Elphaba asked as Nessa sat down again.

"I just needed some fresh air." Nessa said. She took a bite of her lunch, her eyes anywhere but on the other two residents at the table. She was silent for the rest of the time they were out, not being able to focus on anything but the mirror and her meeting with Nieve.

* * *

Late that night, Nessa slammed the door of her room shut and locked it. She delicately pulled the mirror out of her jacket.

She wouldn't dare admit it, but the object scared her.

"_Don't lose it. Don't break it. You'll regret it if you do." _Nieve's words rang through her head. She couldn't quite figure out the reason behind the mirror's paint or its significance.

Nessa grabbed a towel and wet it in paint remover she had bought at a store nearby. She dabbed part of the frame with the cloth, not expecting a shock that would cause her to drop the towel.

"Well it's obviously not paint." She mused, setting the mirror down on her bed. After quickly washing the paint remover off the towel Nessa picked the mirror up again. As she stared at her reflection, she became anxious for some reason. She jumped up and locked the mirror in the same box her shoes had come in.

The girl started near-hyperventilating as she anxiously ran her hands through her hair.

_One…two…three…_ she thought, trying to calm herself down. After a few clock-ticks she regained control.

_I'm just tired._ She decided. A few minutes later she crawled into bed and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Deep into the night hours, a nightmare raged like a storm through Nessarose Thropp's mind.

_The girl stood in a room with Elphaba, Galinda, Frex, Boq, and Fiyero. She smiled, but they all just sneered at her._

"_Now you're the only embarrassment in the family?" Fiyero asked, snarling. "You insulted my Fae." He growled, wrapping a protective arm around the green girl._

"_The brainless blonde bimbo actually passed her science test?" Galinda questioned darkly._

"_I would be a much better Governor than you will ever be?" Frex took a step closer._

"_You've been embarrassing me in public." Boq said in a low voice, stepping closer to Galinda._

"_Please…I didn't mean any of this!" Nessa pleaded, backing away._

_Suddenly Nessa felt her legs lock and she tipped over. She looked down at her shoes, which had now returned to their original silver color._

"_That's how you _should _be." Galinda said pointedly. _

"_No one with a soul as dark as yours should be given any sort of magic." Boq raised his chin, looking down his sharp nose at her slightly condescendingly._

_Nessa looked around at all of the people. The only one who hadn't spoken was her sister._

"_Elphaba please…you forgive me right?" Nessa was desperate now._

"_I'm sorry Nessa." Elphaba said, not making eye contact. "But you're not my sister."_

_Everyone closed in to a tight circle, and they all had menacing, dark smiles etched into their features._

"_Don't hurt me…" Nessa whispered._

"_You are truly a wicked witch." Boq snarled, his voice full of a dark confidence._

"_No…no…please!" The brunette screamed. Everyone lunged at her._

Nessa shot upright, drenched in a cold sweat. She was panting like a wounded dog and was tangled in her bed sheets.

Her clock read one-thirty. She groaned. It was too early to be awake. Nessa pulled her journal out of her night table, grabbed a quill, and put on her ruby slippers and silently left her bedroom.

She tiptoed passed the room of the Head Shiztress into the tiny dinette. Nessa poured herself a glass of milk and sat down at the table.

By only the light of a small candle, she wrote.

_**-An Entry from the Diary of Nessarose Avalyn Thropp-**_

_Date- January 27__th_

_Time- 1:36 am_

_I had a nightmare._

_It was terrifying._

_Galinda, Fiyero, Boq, and Father were all there. My shoes turned silver and I couldn't walk._

_Fiyero was saying how I insulted "his Fae"._

_Galinda was saying that I deserved to not be able to walk._

_Father was very upset about my remark about being a better Governor._

_And Boq…my sweet Boq. He said that I embarrass us in public and I'm a wicked witch. _

_He also made a horrifying comment of how "no one with a soul as dark as yours" deserves any magic._

_The worst part?_

_Elphaba said I wasn't her sister._

_I'm confused._

_No._

_I'm lost._

She put the quill down and finished off her glass. Void of all noise, she quickly rinsed it and returned it to its spot, before making her way back to her room.

Nessa placed the journal on her night table, which slid onto the floor under her bed, kicked off her ruby slippers, and turned over and fell back into a dreamless sleep this time.

* * *

It was Tuesday.

Good old Tuesday.

Um…no.

"Have either of you seen Nessa?" Elphaba asked Galinda and Fiyero as they walked to History, the only class all of them had together. "I haven't seen her since her our lunch out the other day."

"Same." Galinda said, furrowing her brow.

"I haven't seen her." Fiyero said.

"Maybe Biq knows." The blonde suggested as the Munchkin shuffled past, and he visibly cringed. "Biq have you seen Nessa?"

"Nope. Haven't seen her." Boq responded a little too quickly.

"Miss Elphaba!" A voice shouted from behind the group. They all turned to see Madame Morrible hurrying down the hall.

"Madame Morrible?" Elphaba asked, moving towards the Head Shiztress.

"It's Miss Nessarose."

"What about her?" The green girl asked anxiously.

"She hasn't left her room in two days." Morrible said. No one noticed Boq flinch.

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know. She refused to speak to me." Morrible said.

Elphaba sprinted off towards the room.

* * *

**There's a reference in here, it's as to how I wrote something. Say in a review if you know what it is!**


	10. Three Quarters of a Broken Heart

**So the reference was to _The Book Thief_, by interrupting the story to bring a peek into the character's minds.**

**rhinorion: I'm fresh out of hot air balloons.**

**ElphieIsPopular: Well that was an interesting coincidence. **

**a-isforalison: Enjoy cliffie #2. *smirks***

**Angsty depressing fluff? Never.**

* * *

Her feet couldn't move fast enough.

If only they could go the speed of her mind, which was currently analyzing every possible scenario that could be causing her sister to hide behind locked doors.

The green girl flew down the halls as if shot by a cannon, the only sight of her was the streak from her green skin.

_Please let her be okay,_ Elphaba silently prayed as she approached the fated door. She silently twisted the knob and the door swung open.

In short: it was a pathetic scene.

In detail?

There was a small human shaped lump in the bed, which was disheveled and unmade. Elphaba took a step closer. Nessa was curled up as tightly as humanly possible. Of the little that was visible, her usually shiny chestnut hair was greasy and unwashed. Her back was to Elphaba, so she was unaware of company.

Elphaba stepped forward again, and placed a gentle hand on Nessa's shoulder, causing the girl to shift slightly.

"Madame, not now." She mumbled, her face buried in the sheets.

"Well good thing I'm not Morrible then." Elphaba said, a slight bit of sarcasm in her voice.

Nessarose relaxed slightly, but still didn't turn.

"Are you gonna talk to me?" Elphaba asked, and sighed when she say the brunette shake her head slightly.

After a brief look around the room for any possible help, Elphaba shrugged off her jacket and kicked off her boots.

"Move over." She commanded lightly, and was surprised when Nessa, despite not having any leg use due to not wearing her slippers, slid sideways to accommodate for the green girl.

Elphaba threw the sheets back and climbed in next to her sister, who flipped over to face her.

The younger girl's face was tear stained, and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot.

"Nessie?" Elphaba whispered, not expecting for her sister to launch on to her, sobbing.

"Shh…it's okay." The green girl sent gentle, soothing words to Nessa, while simultaneously lightly stroking her back.

They stayed that way for several minutes, until Elphaba felt Nessa stop shaking.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" She asked softly, looking into Nessa's eyes and wiping a tear from her cheek with her thumb.

"It's B-Boq." Nessa whispered, her voice was raspy and heavy.

"I swear to Oz I'll kill him." Elphaba muttered, looking down.

"No. It wasn't his fault."

"Then what happened?"

"I…I can't. I just…can't."

"Maybe you don't have to." She smirked. Four slim green fingers found their way to Nessa's temple, and they sat lightly as the owner chanted an incantation.

After a few clock-ticks, Elphaba removed her fingers, which were surrounded with a light swirl of silver. She slid them through the air, and the silver painted into an image of Boq and Nessa on their way to the café.

Nessa whimpered and curled closer to her sister, who in return wrapped a gentle arm around her.

"Let's watch." She whispered.

"_It's a beautiful day." Nessa commented as she slipped her hand into Boq's._

"_It's a little cold for my taste." Boq responded. They reached the café and Boq opened and held the door for the girl._

"_Thank you good sir." She chuckled, walking in._

"_I'll get our drinks." Boq said, taking off towards the counter. Nessa shrugged and sat down at one of the tables._

_Boq waited at the counter for a few short minutes before returning with two steaming mugs of tea. He had almost reached the table when suddenly he tripped, the contents of the two mugs flying out and onto none other than the girl at the table. She screamed and shot up. Hot tea was dripping off her skirt and was seeping through her socks._

"_Nessa I'm so-" He started, but was cut off my a slap to the face._

"_I can't believe you're so stupid!" She shouted. Her eyes were burning with dark fire._

_The café was dead silent and every eye in the place were on the two of them._

"_Nessa calm down." He pleaded, taking a tiny step backwards. _

"_No!" She turned, grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a salt shaker, and hurled it at him. It hit him in the chest. _

"_That's it. I'm done!" He exclaimed, rubbing his chest._

"_What?" She instantly sobered._

"_I'm done with your attitude! You, Nessarose Thropp, are a wicked person!" He said, pointing an accusing finger at the girl. She stumbled backwards, remembering her nightmare from the previous night._

"_Boq…please…" Nessa pleaded._

_He stormed out of the café._

"Nessa…what happened?" Elphaba asked, stunned from what she had just seen.

"I don't know." She whispered. "It was my legs. Every scar I have from every surgery, when the tea hit them…it was just like someone was stabbing my legs in all of those places."

She paused.

"I can't control any of this! My emotions…the words coming out of my mouth…I don't mean any of them. They just fall out and I'm powerless to stop them." Nessa was starting to tear up again, and Elphaba noticed this.

"Hey, it's okay." The older Thropp said to the younger. "Whatever this is, we'll figure it out."

Nessa curled into her sister, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Don't leave me. Please." She whispered, softly yet brokenly. Elphaba laid a tender kiss on Nessa's forehead.

"I won't. I will never leave you Nessie." She swore. "Now how about you get out of this bed and back into society again?"

"Fabala I can't."

"What?"

"I _can't._ I've already gotten myself into enough trouble and hurt enough people. I don't want to do more."

"Are you just going to stay in here for the rest of your life?" Elphaba challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

The green girl sighed, before getting out of the bed. She grabbed her sister's wrists and pulled.

"Get up you!" She grunted.

Elphaba continued to pull. In just a few moments, she had pulled Nessa off the mattress and she was now sprawled on the floor.

"Ow." She muttered as she flipped over. "Slippers?"

Elphaba grabbed the ruby shoes and handed them to Nessa.

"Go!" The green girl commanded, pushing her sister towards the bathroom once she was on her feet again.

"Fine." Nessa sighed and disappeared inside.

Nessa emerged from the washroom moments later. Her hair was clean and shiny once again, her face looked fresh, but her eyes were laced with pain and despair.

"Happy?" She asked, gesturing to her refreshed look. She looked down and cast an almost hateful glare at the ruby slippers she wore, their bright and cheery shine mocking her.

"Very." Elphaba smirked.

The two sisters locked eyes, and Elphaba saw Nessa choke back what appeared to be a sob. No liquid attempted to or made a grand escape from her eyes. It was simply a statement of sorts.

But then it was gone.

In one short moment, all the sadness Elphaba had seen in her sister disappeared. It was replaced by what almost looked like solemnness or, dare she say it, _happiness_.

"Nessie?" Elphaba asked softly, looking at the girl across the room.

"Yes?"

"How are you feeling about…you know…Boq." She uttered the last word in a whisper.

"Him? Oh, I should've dropped him a long time ago." Nessa smirked.

Elphaba gasped as she looked down. One of the scars on Nessa's legs was black.

Then it disappeared.

She blinked.

It didn't return.

"It's…freeing not being tied to that Munchkin." Nessa said wistfully.

Elphaba just stared at her.

"What are you looking at? Do I have something in my teeth?" She demanded sarcastically.

One moment, Nessa was staring defiantly at her sister.

The next, a mangled cry was ripping free of her throat and she was clutching her chest.

"Nessie!" Elphaba was by the girl's side as she almost fell over. Nessa squeezed Elphaba's hand tightly as sharp, prickly pains flowed through her chest.

Another cry of pain escaped Nessa's lips.

"Make…it…stop." She said through gritted teeth.

"If I could…I would." Elphaba whispered, holding her sister's shaking form.

"Kill…me…now…" Nessa growled. Elphaba's eyes widened.

"Nessarose." The green girl said sternly. Nessa finally caught her breath. She groaned as she stood up again.

"Damn I hate those things." She muttered.

"You're not the only one." Elphaba agreed, rubbing her sore hand.

There was a few moments of silence. The younger Thropp silently walked over to the place where she kept the mirror.

_This is what started it all, _she thought, looking down at the box which once held silver slippers. They were a gift from her father. Now the box held a cryptic mirror, one she didn't know why she had. It didn't even do its job properly; whenever she looked into it she almost had a panic attack.

"I can trust you with a secret right?" Nessa asked softly, grabbing the box. Just holding it made a bad feeling come over her.

"Always." Elphaba promised, sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to her.

"The other day at the restaurant, when I went outside, I met with Nieve. She gave me this mirror." Nessa said, avoiding eye contact while pulling out the mirror.

She gasped and dropped it on the bed and shot to the other end of the room.

"What? What is it?" Elphaba asked.

"The…the mirror." Nessa whispered, pointing to the object that rested next to Elphaba.

The green girl picked it up, looking it over confusedly.

"What about it?" She asked, not seeing what made her sister so scared.

"S-see how it's partially black?"

"Yeah…" Elphaba said slowly.

"Well yesterday," Nessa gulped, "it was only half black. Today…it's…"

"Three quarters black." Elphaba finished.

* * *

**CLIFFIE!**


	11. Reflect on My Reflection

**For all of you that are like"why doesn't she stop wearing the slippers?" a lot of stuff will start to make sense after this chapter. I also stole a bit from Once Upon a Time. Don't sue me.**

**Wanli8970: They do need a good talking to.**

**The title is a song reference, a song from a movie. Can you figure it out?**

* * *

"Heart mirror that's three quarters black?" Elphaba asked, confused.

"Yes." Nessa said softly as she took the mirror into her hands.

"But that doesn't make any sense." The green girl protested. Her sister didn't respond.

"Nessa?" Still nothing. She was transfixed by the mirror in her hands.

"Nessarose answer me!" Elphaba was growing worried. Nessa's gaze was lost in the frame.

In just a moment, Elphaba ripped the mirror from Nessa's grip. The girl made no movement.

"Nessie please say something." Elphaba whispered, moving from sitting on the bed to kneeling in front of the girl.

It was lucky she did, for at that moment Nessa fell off the bed and landed on top of the green girl.

The older gasped as she felt herself being pulled away from reality.

_Elphaba found herself standing in a mostly empty room._

_Nessa was there too. She was simply standing, frozen in time._

"_Nessa?" Elphaba called, but it seemed the girl didn't hear her._

_Just feet from the brunette, a black figure appeared. It was a twisting, churning column of shadows._

"_Nessarose." It said. Its voice was deep and gravelly._

"_What do you want with me?" Nessa asked, finally moving._

"_I'm not doing anything." Its glowing red eyes portrayed amusement. "You're doing all of this yourself."_

"_I'M DOING NONE OF THIS!" The girl screamed._

"_Nessa you're feeding it!" Elphaba yelled, but she realized that Nessa couldn't hear her._

_The shadow extended one skeletal finger and stroked Nessa's chin as it moved in a slow circle around her. She was standing stone-still, attempting not to show emotion._

"_Oh, my pretty, but you are. You're making my job easy." It smirked._

"_Leave me alone." Nessa whispered, fear filling her voice._

"_Never, because you can't resist the thrill you get when I take over." It was taunting her. "You love the rush of the adradline I give you."_

"_What are you?" She demanded._

"_I'm you." As soon as the words left its mouth, the form changed into a near-mirror image of Nessa. The small differences consisted of a jet black dress with striped stockings and the ruby slippers, as well as her hair back in a tight bun. But the most noticeable were her pure black eyes._

"_No. You're not me." Nessa protested, taking a step back as her arms rose to a defensive position._

"_I most definitely am. I'm the side of you that you keep locked away, but now I'm here." Dark Nessa said, gesturing to the open room around them._

"_I'm warning you…leave me alone." _

"_Or what?" Dark Nessa jeered, "You have no power to control me. You are defenseless against me. You just have to take it when I take over."_

"_No." Nessa whispered._

"_What was that?" _

"_NO! You won't anymore." She repeated, louder this time._

"_Oh, my pretty, if only it was that easy." Dark Nessa smirked, amusement gleaming in her black eyes. "It's not." _

_That was the last thing said before, much to Elphaba's horror, Dark Nessa plunged her hand into the other girl's chest. Nessa gasped as Dark Nessa removed her hand, in which was a heart._

_A heart that was three-quarters black._

"_You have limited time my dear. You're time," She paused, tightening her grip around the heart slightly, causing Nessa to clutch her now empty chest. "Is almost up." She finished, and then pushed the heart back into its proper place._

_For its final trick, Dark Nessa turned back into shadows and all the wisps flew into Nessa, surrounding her until she became exactly what she had seen moments before, complete with the dress, bun, stockings, and even the black eyes._

_Her head turned very slowly towards Elphaba, as if she finally realized the green girl was there._

"_You could've saved me. You didn't." Her voice was full of sadness and disappointment._

Elphaba gasped as she awoke from the limbo she was in.

"Nessa? Nessa wake up!" Elphaba cried as she shook the other girl's still-sleeping form. Her eyes sprung open and she shot upright.

"What just happened?" She asked.

"I don't know. That mirror, it did…something to the two of us."

"What did you see?" Nessa whispered.

"You were talking to this…dark…version of yourself, and she ripped out your heart which was three-quarters black. Then you turned into her and then you looked straight at me and said 'you could've saved me. You didn't.'" Elphaba recalled, slowing slightly at the end.

"That's not what I saw." Nessa shook her head slightly.

"Well what did you see?"

"I was trapped in this box of black shadows that was slowly constricting me…and right before it completely closed me off, I saw you standing there. And I said exactly what you heard me say. Then I guess I 'died'." Nessa said, using air quotes.

"How did we see two different things, but you said the same words in both?" Elphaba asked, hoisting herself onto the bed.

"Do I look like I know?" Nessa snapped. "Sorry." She muttered, sitting on the bed.

"Wait." Elphaba grabbed the mirror. "You said you got this from the apothecary right?"

"Yeah…" Nessa agreed, unsure of where Elphaba was going.

"Of course! It all makes perfect sense now!" She exclaimed.

"Fabala what is it?"

"In whatever limbo-vision-thing that just happened the dark version of you ripped your heart out and it was three-quarters black. This mirror is three quarters black and is from the same apothecary who started this whole damn thing!"

"Are you saying that this mirror is really just a representation of how…black my heart is?" Nessa asked, obviously scared.

"And…I think…how much longer you have," she gulped, "to live."

"You're lying." Nessa whispered harshly.

"What?" Elphaba didn't think she heard correctly.

"You're lying! You didn't see any of that did you? You're just trying to scare me into trying to stop being…whatever the hell I am and try to control whatever the hell is happening to me!" The girl accused.

"That's not what I'm saying at all!" Elphaba protested.

"Well then what are you saying then?"

"I'm saying you're probably going to die unless we can stop this process!" The green girl fought back.

"What process?" Nessa asked, her voice suddenly eerily calm.

"The process of your heart turning black. That's what's causing all of this. You are becoming…a wicked witch." Elphaba was whispering at this point.

"Please…don't call me that." The nightmare was fresh in Nessa's mind again, but much worse this time. "No! Don't!" She screamed, grabbing her head tightly. "Stop! Please!" She saw it all again: Galinda, Fiyero, Boq, her Father, and Elphaba, and they were all poised to attack her.

"Nessie?"

"Leave!" In one swift movement, Nessa pushed her sister out the door, which then slammed and was locked.

Elphaba pressed her ear to the door, and the wretched sound of a sob reached her ears.

_What did I miss? _She wondered as she heard various things being said.

"Galinda…stay back."

"Fiyero…forgive me!"

"Father…I didn't mean it!"

"Boq don't say that!"

"Elphaba please…I need you."

The last one was a whisper, as opposed to the others which were all screamed in some hysterical way.

It broke Elphaba's heart all the more.

It went on like this for a few minutes.

Finally, Elphaba couldn't stand listening to it any longer.

Bidding her goodbye, she lightly kissed her fingertips and pressed them to the door. As she backed away, she kept them pressed there for as long as possible before they fell down to her sides.

Back inside the room, Nessa listened as the footsteps quieted and diminished. Coming up with an idea, she once again dug out her journal and started to write.

And draw.

And write some more.

One entry went as follows:

_What's wrong with my life? _

_I'm continuously becoming more of a cold-hearted bitch._

_I wish that I could get someone to understand._

_Elphaba says she does, but I can see it._

_She doesn't know what I've been fighting off. _

_Five pages ago I wrote about a nightmare I had of how everyone who I've hurt directly or indirectly attacked me._

_It's been haunting me._

Nessa spent hours locked in her room that day. The journal was brutally thrown around in her frustration, as well as being filled almost to the brim in various drawings and writings.

She wrote until she couldn't anymore.

Yet it wasn't enough.

* * *

"Elphie where have you been?" Galinda demanded as the green girl slowly entered their dorm.

"With Nessa." She replied softly.

It didn't take long for the blonde to realize something wasn't right.

"What happened?" She asked in a gentle tone.

"Boq broke up with her."

"What?" Galinda breathed, astonished.

Elphaba told the story to Galinda, including the café story and mirror vision, and the blonde sat quietly and didn't interrupt once.

"Then she threw me out. But I heard her talking to herself after. She mentioned everyone significant. Fiyero, Boq, Father, me, and you." Elphaba counted off on her fingers.

"What did she say?"

"Things like 'I didn't mean it', 'forgive me', and in my case 'I need you'."

Elphaba took a deep breath, before continuing.

"She's scaring me Glin. The vision in the mirror, the anger outbursts, and the chest pains. It all is getting me worried about her."

"Elphie." For one of the few times in her life, Galinda was completely serious. "You have no control over this, or Nessa, or that mirror, or whatever 'process' you think is happening. So just stop worrying about something you can't control."

Elphaba was stunned that such an insightful statement could come from _Galinda _of all people.

"Wow Galinda. That was…deep."

Galinda giggled and tossed her hair. "I know. Did you doubt me?" She feigned offense.

"…no." Elphaba said, averting her gaze.

"Elphie!" Galinda shoved Elphaba's arm.

Elphaba just cackled.

* * *

**Also, be on the lookout for a new fic co-written with iamgoku (Shaun)! It should be out soon!**


	12. The Messenger and Her Message

**Fae'sFlower nailed the reference to "The Muppets."**

**LifelongLeahstar: I have succeeded then.**

**Wanli8970: *is scared***

**ElphieIsPopular: Good idea!**

**In this chapter, Nessa discriminates against blondes (again). I have nothing against them. Heck, I could be classified as one (my hair is weirdly colored).**

**Congrats to ElphieIsPopular for being the 100th reviewer! Virtual cake for you!**

* * *

No one knew of the diary of Nessarose.

No one could foresee that it would change everything.

Elphaba was walking to History when a flash of her sister flew by. She was running off to who-knows-where with a bag full of books.

_Thunk._ Something hit the ground.

"Nessa you dropped-" Elphaba stopped, picking up the detail that she was alone. She gently picked up the book.

It was soft light-green leather covered, and a tree was pressed into it. Papers and pages were sticking out at odd angles everywhere.

Elphaba wanted to open it, but then realized that class would start in a minute and she couldn't stand on the path and stare at a book that wasn't even hers.

She stuffed it into her bag and hurried off to class, intending to return it to its owner after.

The next hour of Elphaba's life was full of note-taking, but also non-passing thoughts of the mysterious book lingering in her satchel.

The bell rang out clearly at exactly noon. Elphaba slipped her notebook and quill back into the book bag slung on the chair, before grabbing it and taking off towards the café.

A few minutes later, she was seated in a corner booth with an apple and a sandwich, the book in front of her. She took a deep breath before opening it. Elphaba smiled as she looked at the first page. It was dated the same day Nessa received her ruby slippers. There was an intricate, detailed sketch of the shoe, which was even colored a light red. Elphaba had always known of Nessa's hidden talent for drawing, and seeing it made her proud of her little sister.

As she turned through the first few pages, something seemed off. Her entries, short poems, and sketches all seemed to take on a darker, slightly tortured connotation.

_What is going on here?_

"Fabala!" A voice called from the doorway of the café. Elphaba quickly shoved the journal off the table and it landed in her bag.

Nessa clumsily landed in the seat across from Elphaba. She was breathing hard and obviously had been running.

"Nessa what happened?"

"My…journal is…missing." Nessa panted. There was a wild gleam in her eye that also reflected fear.

"Journal?" Elphaba asked, feigning ignorance despite the pang of guilt she felt.

"My journal," Nessa finally caught her breath, "was the way I vented. All of this crap that's been happening to me…I put it into that journal. Drawings, entries, and poems were how I got it out. If you see it, it's light green and has a tree on it, find me. But don't read it. Please." Nessa squeezed her sister's hand, before taking off in search of the book.

Elphaba was conflicted. She knew that it was the right thing to do to return the journal, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. There was a reason Nessa didn't want it read.

So, naturally, she had to read it. Elphaba knew she had a free period after her next class.

She pushed it back into her bag and went to Literature.

* * *

'_Don't read it. Please.'_

Nessa's words echoed through Elphaba's mind as she put the journal in her lap.

Was this betraying her sister's trust?

_No. _Elphaba ultimately decided. _I'm helping her._

Elphaba flipped in a few pages and studied the writing, poems, and sketches. With each new page, Elphaba grew more confused. The sketches grew darker. The poems grew more depressed. The writings became more of a tragedy.

She read of nightmares. Betrayals. Heartbreaks.

Then she reached the last four pages. They were by far the most interesting.

The first of the four was a sketch. It was dated the day Boq broke up with Nessa. The sketch was a heart, shattered into two pieces. One of the pieces was pure black, and the other was lightly colored red. She was unknowingly drawing Elphaba's theorized 'process'.

'_This is how a heart breaks.' _ Was written underneath.

Elphaba's eyes flicked to the next page. It was a self-portrait, its date indicating just two days ago. Nessa drew herself so half of her was off the page, the back half since she was sideways. Her eyes were closed and her chest was pushed out slightly. Off the other edge of the page, swirling black tendrils flowed together and intertwined at a single spot where Nessa's heart was. In the bottom left corner, a single word was written.

'_Acceptance' _it read.

She turned the page.

The next one was another drawing. Four people were drawn, who were easily identified as Galinda, Boq, Fiyero, and the green girl herself. They all stood, slightly huddled together with scared expressions.

Across from them stood Nessa, but it was the spitting image of the one Elphaba saw in the mirror vision. Black dress, striped stockings, and of course the shoes. She was obviously yelling something and was smirking darkly.

A dark wall was drawn behind her, and on the other side was Nessa, who looked to be pounding the wall attempting to escape.

But she couldn't.

'_Entrapment' _the small written word in the corner said.

The last page was a short poem.

_Alone and loveless here_

_With just the girl in the mirror_

_Just her and me_

_The Wicked Witch of the East_

_We deserve each other_

Elphaba gasped as she remembered that day and what Galinda had told her.

_Fiyero and Galinda watched helplessly as Nessa grabbed her chest and gasped repeatedly. Neither of them knew what was happening or why._

_It remained that way for just a few minutes before Nessa regained her breath and looked at the other two, who were staring at her with wide eyes._

"_What are you two looking at?" She demanded. "Oh, wait. There's a blonde here. Let me slow down." Nessa dragged out her words, smirking maliciously. Galinda narrowed her eyes and Fiyero stepped back._

_He knew that look all too well._

"_What did you say Nessa?" Galinda asked sweetly, but her face portrayed pure anger._

"_See? I said I have to speak slowly." _

_She felt a sudden stinging sensation in her cheek and realized Galinda just slapped her. The blonde gave her a fearful look, but Nessa's eyes reflected solemnness. She paused before she calmly spoke again._

"_Someday they'll call me the Witch of the East. Because I'm wicked." _

_With that, leaving Fiyero and Galinda stunned, she turned to face away from them and fell asleep._

Galinda had then repeated those same twelve words to Elphaba. And there they were again on the page.

"She thinks she's wicked." Elphaba said aloud.

"Fae?"

Elphaba looked up, and realized Fiyero was standing there.

"Yero? How long have you been standing there?" Elphaba asked.

"Long enough. Who thinks who is wicked?" Fiyero crossed the room and sat down next to Elphaba on the bed.

"Look at this." Elphaba handed him the journal and pointed to the poem on the page. Fiyero read it over.

"I remember Nessa saying this." He said. "What are you reading?" He turned the book over.

Elphaba paused. "Nessa's journal."

"What?"

"It's her journal. She dropped it."

"Is she looking for it?"

A breath.

"Yes."

"Fae-"

"Yero I'm trying to help."

"Is this working?" He challenged.

"I don't know!"

Fiyero sighed, realizing he was getting nowhere. "I came up here to tell you that my birthday's next week and we're going to have a party."

"Who's going?"

"Galinda, Boq, Avaric," Elphaba shuddered at the name, "and you, if you say yes."

"Um Fiyero? Aren't you…uh…forgetting someone?"

Fiyero did a quick tally off on his fingers. "No."

"What about…oh I don't know…my sister?"

"Elphaba-"

"You weren't even planning to invite her were you?"

"Fae-"

"You weren't going to invite your _girlfriend's sister _to your birthday party?!"

"Do you ever let anyone else talk?" Fiyero demanded, growing exasperated.

Elphaba went silent. The Prince sighed before continuing.

"I wasn't going to invite her because my parents are coming, and if they meet Nessa and she flies off the handle again, imagine what they'll do to us. To your father. They think what happened over Lurlinemas was a one-time thing. That she was tired, stressed, or somehow emotionally unstable. If it happens again…" Fiyero trailed off.

"But Fiyero…she's my sister. She's already been through enough emotion turmoil this week. If she finds out that you had a birthday party and didn't invite her that'll just make it all the worse." Elphaba said softly. Fiyero thought about this, before giving in.

"Fine, she can come. But it's your responsibility to keep her under control." Elphaba smiled and nodded.

"Now I have to go return this to her, and I'll tell her about the party." She pecked Fiyero on the cheek, before jumping up and running out the door of the dorm room.

* * *

"No…no…NO!" Nessa was fumbling through every book in her room, creating a mess of words on the floor.

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Who is it?" Nessa called through the door, still half distracted by her searching.

"Oh, just the messenger." A familiar voice called.

Nessarose opened the door and her smirking sister stood there.

"You're a messenger now?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I consider this," Elphaba held up the book, "a message, so yes." Nessa's eyes widened and she grabbed the book wildly before flipping through every page.

"Did you…did you read it?" Her voice wavered.

Elphaba studied the ground, before her eyes rose to meet her sister's. It didn't take long for the younger to read the older's expression.

"You did." Nessa whispered in disbelief.

"Nessa-"

Elphaba was cut off by her sister.

"I knew you would." She whispered. "Now you know."

"What?"

"I'm the Wicked Witch of the East. And I'm most likely going to die alone and loveless."

The door closed.


	13. Blue and Green

**In this chapter there is a brief reference to pie and STDs as well. Nothing graphic or of that sort, I just decided to give you a heads up. I do not own pie, all rights go to Ultimate Queen of Cliffies.**

**LifelongLeahstar: Despite it being short, I loved your review the most. "Don't let the beauty die."**

**a-isforalison: Have fun waiting for that.**

* * *

Fiyero's birthday was that following week.

The party was held at Zandolyn's, which had been rented out for the evening.

_Ironic. _Elphaba thought as she opened the door. _This is where it started really. _She, along with Fiyero's parents, began to set up for the party.

Carmin bustled around with the wait staff to prepare and set out the proper foods.

"Yes yes, the steak over there," she pointed to a vacant table, "ice cream over there, and the cake over…there." Carmin instructed as she checked the two items off of the list on the notepad she held.

Issex helped to put up decorations.

"A little higher…Elphaba hand me the staple gun will you?" He received the object and stapled the banner that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIYERO!" in bright blue lettering.

A half hour later, Galinda showed up with a large box in her hands, wrapped in bright pink paper.

"And…done." She sighed in relief as she put it down. Galinda smiled and stretched backwards.

"Glin what did you get him?" Elphaba asked, eyeing the box.

"Oh a lot of things." Galinda waved off the question. "Ooh cake!" She squealed, and went to move towards the table.

"No Glin." Elphaba spoke as if she was talking to a young child. "Wait until after." She smirked when Galinda pouted.

A few minutes later, Boq and Avaric arrived. They both carried gift bags, which were medium sized but they paled in comparison to the huge box that Galinda had.

"Hey you two." Elphaba smiled, poking her head out from behind some colorful streamers.

"Hi El." Boq said, praying to Lurline that his ex's sister wouldn't murder on the spot.

"Hey Green Bean." Avaric smirked. Elphaba scowled and stepped closer to him.

"Okay," she whispered, "it's Fiyero's birthday. Can we just act civil to each other for the next," she glanced at the clock, "three hours? No name calling, no arguments. Deal?" Elphaba extended her hand.

Avaric thought over this for a few moments. "Deal. For Fiyero." He gently shook her hand.

"Guys he's coming!" Galinda said from the window. He walked into the restaurant.

"Happy Birthday Fiyero!" They all shouted in unison, broad smiles on each one of their faces. He gasped and held is chest, acting surprised.

"For moi?" He started grinning. "This is too much."

"Well, it befits Fiyero Issex Tiggular, Crown Prince of the Vinkus." Elphaba smirked, using his full title.

"It's perfect." He said, surveying the room. All of his favorite foods, his favorite people, and the fact that it was all for _him._

"Let's get this party STARTED!" Galinda squealed, seeing no reason to not start celebrating.

While they ate, Fiyero leaned over to Elphaba who was next to him.

"Fae, didn't you say you were going to invite Nessa?" He whispered.

"I did. I have no idea where she is."

"Maybe she decided not to come."

"I don't know why she wouldn't. Unless…" Elphaba paused, her mind flitting through scenarios.

Fiyero kissed her swiftly and softly.

"Don't worry. She's fine." He whispered as he withdrew his lips from hers.

A cough was heard, and the pair realized all eyes were on them.

"Is there something you two would like to share with the group?" Carmin laughed, her son's caught-off-guard expression was priceless.

"Well Fae invited someone who hasn't showed up." Fiyero said once he found his voice.

"And that involves a kiss how?" Galinda fought back snickers but lost the battle.

"She's worried." He said. Galinda's expression softened as she realized who they were talking about.

Apparently, so did Boq.

"Oh…um…y-you invited her?" Boq was scared of the thought of seeing the girl he had called wicked and broke up with just two weeks ago.

Elphaba narrowed her eyes slightly. "Yes, I invited her." Boq swallowed hard.

"Who are we talking about?" Issex asked.

"Nessarose." Elphaba and Fiyero said together.

"Fiyero didn't you invite her originally?" Carmin asked.

"No. She's been…tired…and stressed lately." Fiyero fabricated a not-entirely-untrue lie.

That pacified the adults for long enough for dinner to conclude. The party then moved to the dance floor, where a small band began to play. Fiyero led Elphaba into a fast waltz, and the song's tempo dropped slowly.

The door to Zandolyn's opened, and Nessarose awkwardly entered. She carried a foil covered tray and a tall, thin bag.

"Happy birthday Fiyero," She said, half smiling, "I was making brownies, but they had to cook longer than expected." Nessa hastily uncovered the tray, showing a plate of chocolate brownies. She gently set them down.

The brownies were a cover.

Truthfully she was serving a nighttime detention. Nessa's dark side had taken control once again, this time at a teacher.

As she scanned the restaurant, her eyes found Boq. He shrunk away from her gaze. Nessa sadly realized: he was scared of her. The band picked up again, so Fiyero and Elphaba began to dance again. Galinda and Avaric joined, as well as Issex and Carmin.

Nessa awkwardly stood by the (not) spiked punch bowl, watching her sister dance happily with the prince. She gently leaned her head against Fiyero's chest as they waltzed.

Boq loitered on the opposite side of the room, hoping not to endure the wrath of either of the Thropps, but he slowly realized that neither of the sisters had an intention to kill him. At least not then.

After the song ended, everyone gathered back at the table. Fiyero gathered his gifts and opened them.

Galinda gave him a multitude of randomness, including another pair of tight white pants.

"Damn it Galinda." Elphaba muttered when Fiyero pulled them out of the box.

Boq got Fiyero a gift certificate to his favorite ice cream shop.

"So much like a child." Carmin chided playfully.

Avaric decided to get Fiyero a new wallet, since the prince said he needed one.

"Thanks Av." Fiyero smiled, looking over the fine leather wallet.

Next he opened Elphaba's, which was in a tiny box. Inside he found half of a heart pendant with a green gemstone pressed into it, as well as the back end of words that read "ero d aba".

"Where's the rest?"

Elphaba reached down her collar and pulled out the matching silver piece with a blue gemstone, and the words said "Fiy an Elph". She leaned forward and pressed the two heart pieces together.

"Fiyero and Elphaba." The prince smiled as he spoke. "I love it Fae."

Finally he opened Nessa's. He carefully pulled out a frame. Inside was an extremely accurate drawing of Fiyero, with Elphaba, Galinda, Boq, and Avaric in the back.

"Did you draw this?" Fiyero asked. Nessa nodded.

"I figured it might be a good attempt to apologize." She said softly, looking at the drawing.

"Why aren't you in there?" Elphaba asked, noticing her absence.

"It's hard for an artist to include herself." Nessa said, staring directly at her sister. Elphaba read her face and understood the truth, but held her tongue.

"Thank you all." Fiyero looked at the small collection of presents he had.

"Cake?" Galinda asked eagerly.

"Yes Galinda. Cake." Elphaba rolled her eyes playfully.

The chocolate marble cake was cut and everyone who wanted one got a piece.

"No thank you. I'm all right." Nessa politely refused.

"It's really good though." Elphaba said through a mouthful, pointing at it with her fork.

"I'm fine."

Elphaba shrugged and turned away, but turned back when Nessa spoke again.

"Fiyero can I ask you something?"

"Okay, shoot."

The green girl saw her sister clench her fists, and soon enough a small trickle of blood dripped to the floor. She was fighting it.

"Nessie." Elphaba whispered, grabbing her hand despite the blood. "Please. You can control this. Just breathe."

"I can't." Nessa said heavily, before shooting up. "Fiyero? How is it that you aren't a father yet?"

Issex pulled a spit take, Carmin nearly choked, and Fiyero froze in place.

"Nessa stop." Elphaba grabbed her sister's wrist tightly. She didn't respond, and Elphaba realized she wasn't Nessarose anymore. She was truly the Witch of the East. But only she knew that.

"You've been with so many girls with only the intent to bed them, so how have you not gotten one pregnant yet? And while we're on the topic, when was the last time you were tested for STDs?" Nessa asked.

Galinda, Boq, and Avaric had snuck far away, trying to protect themselves.

"Nessa calm down. You can control this." Elphaba said soothingly. She was the only one to really know what was happening.

"Elphaba shut up!" She shouted, whipping around. "Don't you think that soon enough you're going to be next? Be smart and get away from this brainless scarecrow while you still can! Before you know it, he'll be taking you to his dorm for the night." She said angrily.

And that's when Fiyero lost it.

He lunged.

* * *

**Unluckly 13?**


	14. We'll Be The Stars

**Y'all are ready to murder Nessa and for Fiyero to do it.**

**Wanlie8970: Well…um…this is awkward.**

* * *

_He lunged._

But not at Nessarose.

Instead the rage consumed prince grabbed the wrist of his girlfriend and hauled her into the kitchen.

"Yero." Elphaba started, but stopped when she truly read the Prince's face. It showed hurt and betrayal more than anger. "Please don't kill her."

"I won't." Fiyero said calmly.

"Really?" Elphaba asked, not fully trusting where this was going.

"You promised Fae." He whispered, looking at the floor.

"What did I promise?"

"You said you'd keep her under control."

"Fiyero. I can't do anything, it's this process-"

"Process or no this is why I didn't plan to invite her in the first place!" Fiyero exclaimed, before quickly looking at the kitchen door to make sure it was closed.

"Well even though you didn't want to for obvious reasons doesn't mean that it was justifiable!" Elphaba shot back.

"Look Fae, I'm not the only one who is ready to strangle your sister. I know that Boq is too."

"But…what does that have to do with us?"

Fiyero heaved a long, heavy sigh. "I want you…to choose."

"Choose what?"

"Me…or Nessarose." He finished.

"You're kidding right?" Elphaba asked, her voice wavering.

"No. I'm not."

"Fiyero you expect me to choose between my _boyfriend _and my _little sister_?!" Elphaba challenged, her voice filled with disbelief.

A sharp intake of breath. "Yes."

"You can't honestly expect me to make that choice."

"Well I do."

"Fiyero-" She begged.

"Look, I didn't want to do this but you don't give me a choice."

"Give me a week Fiyero." Elphaba pleaded. She didn't want to lose the only guy who had a remote interest in her.

"I gave you time." His voice was cold and unfeeling.

"Fiyero please…"

He just stared at her.

"She's my sister."

Fiyero looked down, slightly disappointed.

"Fine. Get out." He snarled.

"Fiyero-"

"Get out!" He pulled out the half-heart pendant and handed it to her.

Elphaba had tears in her eyes as she took the pendant. "I'll never stop loving you." She whispered, before walking out of the kitchen. Everything was the same, except the guests had scared and surprised expressions glued on and the absence of Nessa was obvious. Elphaba didn't look at anyone as she calmly strode out of the restaurant and into the black night.

She wrapped one arm around her abdomen as she walked, the bitter pain radiating through her. Elphaba held the pendant between her fingers, staring at it sadly.

Out of nowhere, a black bird swooped in and grabbed it from her grip. It perched itself on top of a street lamp, an innocent look on its face as it held the pendant in its beak.

"Give it back." Elphaba whispered, despite knowing that the bird didn't understand her.

Suddenly, a small object hit the bird lightly, not hard enough to hurt it, but enough to startle it so it dropped the silver. Elphaba quickly grabbed it. The bird, the _raven_, squawked and flew away.

She heard footsteps off to her right, but before she could follow a familiar voice spoke.

"It's the least I could do. I'm sorry for blowing my lid, hope I didn't destroy anything else_._" Then Elphaba was alone.

The green girl sighed; she didn't have the heart to tell her sister about the break up.

Not yet anyway.

As she continued to walk, the raven returned again. This time it simply put a note in front of her before it left for good this time. Elphaba picked up folded paper and looked at the address.

_To: Elphaba Thropp. Shiz University. _

The green girl sighed and moved over to the street lamp and stood beneath it. She unfolded it and read it, taking in every word.

_Ah rubber slippers. They're such magical things, you know. Still happy about your sister's choice? I hope you cherish what you have with darling little Nessarose. Before you know it, it'll all disappear. Your theories are correct my dear. I have indeed cursed her. Her heart is blackening. Your little sister will turn into a full blown Wicked Witch before you know it. That'll be when her heart is completely black, and you'll know when that happens. And only three days after that, she'll be dead._

_You know who I am, so why bother signing this note?_

Elphaba stood under the streetlight for several minutes, transfixed by the note in her hand. Finally, she mustered the strength to move, but she first diverted her attention to the night sky.

She spotted the Northern Ozian Stars, the biggest and brightest lights in the sky, the one she had told her sister would be their special stars. The green and the red shines in the night.

_Twelve year old Elphaba and eleven year old Nessa laid together on a picnic blanket one clear summer night. They gazed at the stars and munched on cookies Elphaba had stolen from the kitchen._

"_Fabala?"_

"_Yes Nessie?"_

"_We should have a thing."_

"_A thing?"_

"_Something that defines us." _

"_Besides being social outcasts?" Elphaba snickered at her own self-depreciating joke, getting her a whack in the arm from her sister._

"_No Fabala. Something real." Elphaba looked around, then up._

"_See those two?" Elphaba asked, pointing her green hand up to the (very) slightly green tinted bright star and the lightly colored red one next to it. "That'll be ours. You and me. Green and red. As long as they're there, we will have each other."_

"_Do you promise Fabala?" The young girl asked as she looked up, her eyes brimming with light and hope. Elphaba gently took her hand and kissed her cheek gently._

"_I promise."_

Elphaba stared at the two stars. Then she placed one hand over her heart, feeling her own steady heartbeat, and the other extended out towards the two lights.

"I swear to you, my sister, this curse will not kill you. I promise on the Northern Ozian Stars." She turned and walked away.

The words suspended in the air joined the stars in watching her leave.

* * *

"Galinda, I need your help." Elphaba said out of the blue the next day.

"Okay, fashion, makeup and accessories, or love help?" Galinda giggled as she flounced over to Elphaba's bed and sat down.

"None of the above."

Galinda sensed the urgency and seriousness in Elphaba's voice.

"What is it then Elphie?"

"Read this." Elphaba handed her the note from the raven. Galinda read it over, her hand rising to cover her mouth.

"Nessa's going to die?" She whispered.

"Unless we do something, yes."

"We? What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to do some spying for me." Elphaba's lips curled into a wicked smirk.

"Elphie? Are you thinking straight?"

"Yes I am. Here's what you're going to do."

Elphaba carefully explained the plan in full detail. She answered every question the blonde had.

"Do you really think I can pull this off?" She asked softly, playing with a strand of hair.

"I have full faith in you Glin." Elphaba said reassuringly.

"But why me? Why not Fiyero?" Galinda noticed Elphaba wince at hearing the prince's name. "Elphie?"

"Fiyero and I are…well…we broke up last night at the party."

Galinda's jaw dropped. She was blindsided. "What?" She breathed.

"After the whole incident, he made me choose. It was him or Nessa. I still love him, but she's my sister. I couldn't abandon her. Not now. Not ever." Elphaba explained. Galinda picked up on her sadness and pulled her into a hug.

"And Boq," she continued once she withdrew, "you can understand why he wouldn't want to help. You're my only chance Glin."

"I won't let you down Elphie." Galinda said confidently, raising her nose.

Elphaba laughed softly. "You never could my sweet."

* * *

Nessarose sat through another never-ending History lecture, refusing to look at her sister, Fiyero, Boq, or Galinda. Her attention remained focused on Doctor Dillamond and her notes.

Occasionally her gaze did linger to the top of her wrist, causing her to hurriedly pull down her sleeve.

Finally the bell did ring, and Nessa bolted from the room. She walked with a brisk pace down the sidewalk.

"Nessie?" Elphaba called from behind her. Nessa kept walking, pretending not to hear.

"Nessie!" Nessa heard footsteps come behind her. She felt a hand on hers and she turned.

"Hi." She said softly.

"You've been awfully isolated lately, is everything okay?" Elphaba asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Elphaba was holding her right hand.

_Crap. _Nessa thought as Elphaba looked down at their entwined hands. Something caught her attention and she quickly pulled Nessa's sleeve back.

"What is that?" Elphaba asked softly.

Down her wrist was a series of names in red pen (Elphaba was thankful it was only ink).

_Elphaba_

_Galinda_

_Boq_

_Father_

_Fiyero_

"Everyone I've hurt, in order. This is my reminder. I look at them every day and remember, 'I did this'." Nessa said, not looking away from her wrist. "I care about all of these people. But everyone, except for you, can't say the same back. I wish…I could change it. But I can't. I've dug myself too deep with my own words."

Elphaba opened her mouth, but hesitated to speak. She didn't know what to say. Instead of releasing spoken sentiments, she pulled her sister into a long hug.

"We'll be the stars." Elphaba whispered. Nessa let out a soft laugh.


	15. With Every Tick of the Time Dragon Clock

**Sorry this is so late!**

**Warning: Abuse. Nothing too bad.**

* * *

"And that's the way the human mind perceives honesty and lies." Nessa recited the last line of her philosophy essay as she wrote it out, before setting her quill down, satisfied. She leaned back in her chair, stretching her back when she heard a voice.

_Nessarose… _it called.

"Who…who said that?" Nessa asked, standing up. Her room was completely empty.

_Nessarose…find me…_ it said again. The girl followed the voice to where it seemed to be coming from under her bed. Cautiously, she looked under the bed, where she only saw the box containing the mirror. Her slim hands pulled the box out and she opened it.

The mirror was almost black this time, and when Nessa looked at it, she felt a pinch of pain in her chest. When she studied her reflection, it rippled to show the feared version of herself.

_Let's go on a journey. _It smirked, and suddenly Nessa fell away from consciousness.

_When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in a small house. A young woman, about twenty, was furiously scrubbing at the floor, while an older woman, presumably her mother, stood over her barking orders._

"_If you want to go out with that man, this house will be spotless."_

"_You missed a spot!" The older lady punctuated the last word with a sharp whack to the younger's head._

"_Mother I'm trying!" She groaned, washing faster with more ferocity._

"_Nieve stop complaining and keep going!" Only then did the young woman finally look up, and Nessa instantly recognized the startling grey eyes. Anger rose in her, but she stood still._

"_It might go faster if you weren't yelling at me that I'm doing it wrong every two minutes!" Nieve exclaimed, throwing down her rag._

"_Now listen here," Nieve's mother grabbed her collar in the same fashion that Nieve did to Nessa that day in the shop, "Your father is dead and you live under my roof. So I can do whatever the hell I want with you. Now just be glad I haven't thrown you out of the house yet. You wouldn't survive out there, and that man of yours won't hang around for long." She released her grip on Nieve's shirt. "Get out of here before I change my mind."_

_Nieve tried not to look too excited as she threw off her apron and ran out the door. Nessa followed her as she ran through a small village._

"_Evening Ms. Nieve!" A shopkeeper called through a window as she passed._

"_Evening Mr. Taloka!" She replied as she entered the shop. "Two coffees to go please."_

"_That'll be fourteen." He smiled, handing her the drinks. Nieve dug seven silver coins out of her pocket._

"_I only have seven. I can work it off if you'd like." She offered. Mr. Taloka laughed and took the seven she had. _

"_It's fine dear. Just go meet your man." _

"_Thank you!" She said gratefully as she grabbed the beverages and ran out the door._

_Nieve carefully carried the drinks in her hands as she hurried down the path towards a cliff. A young man her age stood there, looking out over the cliff's edge, but turned at the sound of footsteps._

"_Nieve!" He smiled brightly before gently kissing her._

"_Hello my darling Frexspar." She looked at him happily, before handing him one of the coffees. They sat on the edge of the cliff, watching the sun set as they sipped their beverages. Nieve snuggled closer into his embrace._

_All the while, Nessa's jaw was dropped as far as possible. Her father was romantically involved with Nieve?! The woman currently responsible for the slow destruction of her?!_

"_What did your mother make you do today?" Frex asked._

"_She made me scrub the floors. I'm so done with her. I want out of this hellhole." She grumbled. Frex chuckled and kissed her hair._

"_Someday, you will be." He promised._

"_Let's just go! We can live in the Vinkus together!" Nieve suggested. Frex smiled, but shook his head sadly._

"_I'm set to be Governor, you know that. We can't just leave. Speaking of leaving…"_

_Nieve swallowed. "You're going back to Munchkinland again aren't you?" She whispered._

"_Yes, you can write me, because I know your mother won't let you visit." Frex sighed. _

"_No. I'm going with you this time." Nieve was determined._

"_How are you going to do that?" Frex challenged. Yup, Nessa thought, definitely their father._

_Nieve gestured to the small bag she carried. She reached in and pulled out a small knife. It had a silver blade and a leather hilt wrapped in gold chords._

"_It was my father's. He gave it to me and said do something good. This will be my act of good." She said, her eyes fixed on the knife._

"_What are you planning on doing?" Frex asked, fearing he already knew the answer._

"_Tomorrow night I get my freedom. I'm going to kill her."_

"_Nieve please don't. There's another way." He protested._

"_No." With that, Nieve got up and went home. It seemed fitting that a storm began to brew overhead._

"_Oh look, you're home." Nieve's mother sighed when her daughter entered the house. She received no response for the rest of the night and all of the next day._

_Nieve found herself calmly reading her favorite novel in the window when she was interrupted. _

"_NIEVE TOLAWAY GET DOWN HERE!" Her mother screamed from downstairs. _

"_Fantastic." Nieve muttered as she left her room. "Yes mother?" She asked dutifully as she reached the bottom of the steps. "Frexspar!" She exclaimed when she saw him. She moved towards him but he made no movement._

"_Explain this." Her mother held up the satchel containing the knife. _

"_Where did you get that?" Nieve asked, her voice shaky. Her mother smirked and nodded her head slightly towards the man awkwardly waiting in the corner._

"_Frex?" Nieve was still confused._

"_I told her your plans." His voice was soft and laced with sadness._

"_What? Why?" _

"_I couldn't let you kill her." _

"_But Frex-"_

"_I couldn't let you kill her." He repeated._

"_Get out of my house Nieve. Never return, and remember I never gave two twigs about you." Her mother spoke evenly and coldly. Nieve turned up her nose, grabbed the satchel, and walked defiantly out of the house._

_She stopped when she heard Frex's heavy footsteps behind her._

"_How could you?" She whispered without even turning around._

"_Nieve-" He protested._

_The woman dug the knife out of her bag and thrust the hilt into Frex's hand._

"_Take this," She spat, "and let it remind you of the life you destroyed. You took my one chance at freedom Frexspar. I hope you're happy." _

"_Nieve darling-" He faltered._

"_You were my first true love. Someday, somehow, you will pay. I will destroy your heart as you did mine. Indirectly or directly." Her grey eyes glowed with dark fire as she spoke. She walked away. Frex watched her as she hitched a ride on the carriage that just so happened to be going out of the village._

"_I love you." The words slipped past his lips without his knowing._

_The world around Nessa disappeared, leaving her with just the other half of herself._

"_Indirectly she said. Indirectly it is." The dark lady said, smirking. "She's using you to get to him. You die, but it's him that pays the price."_

"Nessa?! Nessa wake up!" A voice from the outside shouted.

"_He pays the price, but so do you. Enjoy what you have left. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock." Dark Nessa taunted, moving her finger back and forth simulating the hand of a clock._

"Nessie! This isn't funny!" The voice called again. Nessa wanted to wake up but she couldn't yet.

_Dark Nessa plunged her hand into Nessa's chest again and ripped out her heart. This time it was almost fully black; only a few spots still glowed a healthy red._

"_Would you look at that? You're almost there! Congrats. I didn't think you'd last this long. You're fighting. If you stop, your end can be quick and painless. Keep fighting the curse and your demise will be slow and torturous, I can promise you that." Dark Nessa smiled cruelly and shoved the heart back where it belonged._

"Nessarose!" The voice was desperate.

_Come on...wake up…wake up…_

Nessa gasped as she opened her eyes. A hazy figure loomed over her, whose green skin gave them away easily.

"Fabala?" Nessa whispered, reaching up a hand. She felt suddenly very tired and weak. Elphaba took it and placed Nessa's soft fingers on her emerald cheek.

"You gave me quite a fright my sweet." Elphaba whispered, helping Nessa into a sitting position. "What happened this time?"

"I'm dying Fabala." The statement was blunt, and Elphaba nodded solemnly.

"I know."

"How?" Elphaba handed her sister the note.

"I know why she's doing this." Nessa said once she finished reading.

"Why?"

"She hates Father, and will do anything for revenge. Including killing me."

"I won't let her. And here's how."

Elphaba recalled the entire plan to Nessa.

"You're a genius Elphaba." Nessa smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye.


	16. You Love Me But You Don't Know Who I Am

**Fae'sFlower: They came from me not proofreading my chapter first. I was tired.**

**This chapter is dedicated to every single member of the United States Armed Forces and their families. I salute all of you. *salutes* **

* * *

_Part One: The Confrontation_

Nieve was startled when a short, sharp, but soft knock disrupted her work. She groaned, but forced a smile and opened the door.

"Sorry we're closed." She told the young girl at the door.

"Oh I'm not here to buy anything." The blonde protested.

"Then what do you need?" Nieve casually leaned against the doorframe.

"I need revenge advice and I heard through the grapevine you might be the person for the job."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Milla." Well, it almost was. But then her parents named her Galinda.

That's right, Galinda.

"Milla huh? And what kind of revenge are we talking here?"

"The boy I was dating broke my heart."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. He cheated on me about three times."

"And what is it you wish to do to him and how does it involve me?" Nieve was growing bored.

"I want a potion." Galinda said, smirking slightly.

"What kind of potion?"

"I heard you know how to brew a potion to blacken someone's heart."

Nieve smiled cruelly. "You heard that huh? Come in dear."

Galinda grinned as she entered the house. The hardest part of the mission had been completed, she had gained Nieve's trust.

_Phase Two: Getting the Information. _

The two women sat down in Nieve's shop. The apothecary pulled out her potion book and a notepad.

"So you want a potion to blacken his heart? It would be better if you did to someone he cares deeply about." Nieve suggested.

"Have you done this before?" Galinda asked.

"Once."

"What happened?"

"Similar to your predicament, I once had a boyfriend. He betrayed me, and his precious little daughter was stupid enough to waltz in here and I convinced her to drink it. As we speak her heart is almost black, which means she's almost dead."

"The potion kills the person?"

Nieve laughed softly. "Yes, so you need to be sure Milla."

"I am." Galinda summoned the darkest smile she could.

"Then I'll start brewing." Nieve was glad someone else could be as malicious as she was. She began to make her way into the back room but stopped when Galinda talked again.

"Is there an antidote?" Galinda asked, finally getting to the whole reason she was there. To find a way to save Nessa. Nieve sighed and turned around. She hated when customers would ask questions like that.

"Technically yes."

"What is it?"

"A token from the one who loves her most." Nieve recited from the potion book.

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Something that is special between the cursed person and the person they care about most."

Galinda froze for a minute, thinking through who that could apply to.

"Elphaba." She whispered aloud.

"What was that?" Nieve asked.

"Oh nothing. So how about that potion?"

Nieve disappeared into the back of the shop for a few moments and returned holding a small vial of black liquid between her long fingers.

"Revenge is sweet. Enjoy." Nieve smirked as she handed it to Galinda.

"Do I owe you something?" The blonde asked as she gently took hold of the dangerous liquid bottle. It radiated evil, and it terrified her.

"I found someone as devious as I, so no."

"Thank you ma'am." Galinda nodded, slightly afraid of the vial in her hand but didn't let it show.

"You're welcome dear. Now off with you."

Galinda didn't have to be told twice. She hurried into the carriage without looking back.

"What a curious little girl. Reminds me of a younger me." Nieve smiled softly, before closing the door of her shop.

* * *

Elphaba, while alternating between anxiously pacing the room and waiting for Galinda, was interrupted by a soft knocking at the dorm room door. She stopped in her tracks and turned towards the door. She did honestly contemplate not letting the person in, for fear that they might begin to freak out over the blonde's unexplained and unforetold disappearance, but ultimately she opened the door. Elphaba wasn't surprised when she found Nessa standing there, playing with a loose strand of hair.

"Hi." She said softly.

"Hey Nessie, what's up?" Elphaba asked.

"Do you want to go for a walk with me?" Nessa offered hopefully. Elphaba glanced around her dorm quickly, before agreeing.

The sisters walked in silence for a short while before Nessa spoke up again.

Now, pause for a minute. I could tell you that what Nessa said was a harmless joke, causing the two to laugh, and then Galinda returned with the cure, Nessa and Boq made up as well as Fiyero and Elphaba, and everyone was happy, but I'd be lying. In truth, it didn't happen like that.

Nessa's seven words were actually what began the end of her world.

"How are things with you and Fiyero?" She asked innocently. Elphaba stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. "Fabala?" Nessa grasped her sister's hand.

"He and I…at the party…we…broke up." Elphaba whispered, avoiding looking at Nessa. The younger girl's eyes widened and she looked mortified.

"Because of me…wasn't it?"

Elphaba didn't want to, but she agreed. "He made me chose. You or him. I love him…but you're my sister."

Nessa turned her head away, looking out at the sun in the distance. A gentle breeze hardened her features, and carried the sympathy from her face with her tresses. She rolled her neck down, her hair falling and hiding her face from view.

"Good. You don't deserve him." She snarled.

"What?" Elphaba asked, unsure if she heard correctly. "Did you say 'I don't deserve him'?"

"Yes. You don't deserve him." Nessarose repeated, raising her head up to meet her sister's. A wicked smirk graced her features as she looked at Elphaba's shocked face; brown eyes were wide with a mix of surprise and horror. "You're a killer Elphaba. You don't deserve a happy ending."

"I don't…understand…"

"You killed our mother! She's dead because of you! I had to live the first nineteen years of my life in an Oz-damned wheelchair because of you. It's all your fault."

Nessa was still smirking darkly. Elphaba's gaze rose from the pavement and slowly made its way up to the hem of the younger girl's skirt. She gasped as she noticed the blue skirt fade into black and the seam crawled its way down to just above those damn slippers. Nessa's brown socks morphed into white and black striped stockings, and when Elphaba looked all the way up, she was greeted with none other than the Witch of the East herself.

"Nessa?" She asked, gradually extending her fingers. The pads softly touched Nessa's cheek before she could react, and then Elphaba winced as her hand was harshly slapped. Nessa dramatically wiped her cheek where Elphaba had touched her. "I don't want to catch your green." She muttered.

"Nessie please. You can fight this." Elphaba said encouragingly.

"There's nothing left to fight. Just you. You little killer you." She sneered. "You destroyed everything that I had. Our mother, my legs, and not to mention Father. You're a disappointment my…not pretty. You're greenness is a sin. You are a curse. A monster!" Her voice rose on every word, until the last one came out as a shout that reverberated deep in Elphaba's soul. Her heart felt like it would break at any moment, it was teetering on a ledge over oblivion. Despite her mouth being dry, she found her voice.

"Nessa…I know this isn't you. This is the curse talking, you don't mean any of this" Elphaba whispered, looking down.

"I mean every word. You know that it's your fault. At least if I do die, I won't have to be seen with you anymore."

Elphaba liked to think that she had good reign over her emotions when it came to being insulted, but that was usually from people she didn't know nor care to know. But this was her little sister. The girl she took care of for all of her life. That last remark broke the floodgates in her.

"You know what Nessarose? I've given almost everything I ever had to you. Since you were born I've taken care of you. In the beginning I was forced to, but then I did it because I loved you Nessa. These last couple of months I've given up more than you can imagine. I broke up with Fiyero for you. I defended you every time someone made a remark about you in some nasty way. But you know what? Screw it all. I hope you're happy Nessa," Elphaba paused for just long enough to spit on the sidewalk in front of her sister, "you have no sister now." She turned and marched away.

Nessa stood, dumbfounded, as she watched the green girl walk away. Once she regained control of her senses, she wanted to make things right.

"Fabala?" The cry was soft and plaintive. Elphaba made no movement.

"Fabala?" She tried again, taking a step forward. When that didn't work, she began to walk behind her sister, not even pausing to contemplate her sudden change in outfit.

"Elphaba!" Nessa called once more.

The girl in question made no intent on stopping. She simply blocked out the voice.

What finally got her to pause was when she heard a gut-wrenching cry of pain. Elphaba slowly turned and watched as her sister grabbed her chest yet again.

"Nessa?" She questioned, walking unsurely towards the girl.

"Fabala…" Nessa was cut off by another wave of pain. She lost all feeling in her legs and would've toppled to the ground had her sister not caught her.

"I'm s-sorry…Elphaba…" Nessa whispered, before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in Elphaba's arms.

* * *

***cackles* Review? Oh and can anyone get the song reference in the title?**


	17. Down and Away

**Hi…remember me? Sorry I was so late, exams and projects have been keeping me from my computer. Most of you nailed the reference (sorry Your Majesty) and it was to Let Me Go.**

**Fae'sFlower: Mwahahahahahaha I win!**

**a-isforalison: I'm not done yet.**

* * *

Boq and Fiyero were hanging out in the nice weather when they heard the first shout.

"Help! Someone!" It sounded like it was from far away, so they cautiously head towards it. The first thing they noticed was a flash of green. She was kneeling on the ground, back to them, hunched over something.

"Elphaba?" Boq called. The girl in question turned, her face contorted with worry and fear. They then noticed a pair of ruby slippers poking out from beside her.

"What happened?" Fiyero asked, not moving from his spot.

"She…she…" Elphaba paused, then sighed. "Go get help." Her voice was calm and smooth, betraying the expression she wore. Fiyero, having dated the girl for almost a year, understood she was dead serious. He and Boq took off running towards the staff building.

Elphaba diverted her attention back to her sister. "You'll be okay Nessie." Three minutes ago she imagined herself throttling the girl, but now her focus was solely on making sure she lived. Elphaba gently stroked a few strands of loose hair from the girl's face. Her eyes scanned downward, fully taking in the clothing on her sister's body, her "Wicked Witch of the East" outfit. The ruby slippers shone even under the clouds, and they were bright with despair and pain. It was almost as if they were reflecting Nessa's emotions.

"Good heavens what is going on out here?" Madame Morrible asked as she hurried up to Elphaba, with Boq and Fiyero trailing behind her.

"Nessa…passed out." Elphaba not-entirely lied.

It only took a few minutes for an ambulance to show up. With the help of the paramedics, Nessarose was placed on a stretcher and loaded into the back, and Elphaba rode with her.

"We'll meet you there." Fiyero said. His forlorn face was the last thing Elphaba saw before the doors closed. Her attention changed as she looked at the girl on the stretcher. Nessa's face was pale, paler than usual. Her hand was cold. Elphaba gently took it and held it tight between her two green hands.

Throughout the whole journey, Elphaba's eyes never left Nessa's face. She had a good idea that she knew what was happening. She was pretty sure that Nessa's heart had blackened entirely.

In Elphaba's opinion, the ride to Gillikin Hospital took much longer than it should have, despite it only taking fifteen minutes. She was hustled out of the back, and forced to simply watch as the paramedics rolled her sister, her sweet Nessarose, into the emergency room.

Fiyero and Boq, true to their word, showed up just mere moments after Elphaba.

"Did we miss anything?" Fiyero asked, breathless, as he ran into the waiting room where Elphaba stood.

"No. We just got here. They just took her back." She responded sadly. Fiyero, even though he thought he knew it wasn't out of love, took the shaking girl into his arms.

Boq awkwardly waited on the sidelines. Fiyero ultimately lead the green girl to the chairs against the wall, where they sat anxiously. Finally, a woman in a white lab coat came through the fated double doors, holding a clipboard and wearing a concerned face.

"Elphaba Thropp?" She called, and the green girl stood up and approached her. The doctor didn't even hesitate to start speaking.

"I'm Doctor Edrita Bonvadi. You're Miss Nessarose's sister correct?"

"Yes that's me. How is she?" Elphaba asked, nervously wringing her hands.

"She's awake." Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief. "But," Dr. Bonvadi continued, her voice filled with warning, "We don't know what is wrong with her yet. She seems to have some sort of cardiovascular issue, in that her heartbeat is weak and she is too."

"Can I see her?" Elphaba asked hopefully. Dr. Bonvadi smiled softly.

"Room seven."

Heavy boot steps echoed through the halls of the hospital. To Elphaba, they paled in comparison to the thump of her heart in her ears. She found room seven and poked her head in, making sure she wasn't disrupting anything. Her sister laid in the bed, and she was indeed awake. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was dressed in a plain blue hospital gown.

"Hi." She whispered, surprised at having a visitor, especially a visitor who had all but disowned her just thirty minutes ago.

"How are you feeling?" Elphaba asked, pulling up a chair next to the bed.

"I can't feel my legs." Nessa said bluntly. When Elphaba gave her a confused and worried look, Nessa pulled up the bedsheet covering her legs. No slippers. "I am once again crippled." She chuckled at her own joke.

"Does your chest still hurt?"

"Not really," Nessa responded, "but I am scared of this."

She took Elphaba's hand and placed it over her heart. Elphaba fought the urge to cringe at the lack of steady heartbeat. Instead she felt a weak, uneven thump.

"Three days Fabala. I have three days left." She said, avoiding eye contact.

"Nessa you're not going to die." Elphaba said with confidence.

"And what are you going to do about it exactly?" Nessa snapped. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

Slowly but surely, her body relaxed, and she felt the warm blanket of sleep cover her. Elphaba watched as the younger girl fell asleep, and she found herself smiling.

"Fresh dreams." Elphaba whispered, before getting up and leaving the room.

* * *

It was an understatement to say that Dr. Bonvadi was surprised when a woman showed up, claiming to be the aunt of one of her patients.

"I didn't know Governor Thropp had a sister."

"My name is Nieve. I'm the sister of his late wife Melena." Nieve resisted the urge to growl the woman's name.

"Do you have an ID?" Dr. Bonvadi asked.

The grey eyed woman smiled and reached into her pocket. From it she pulled her apothecary license. Dr. Bonvadi took it and looked it over quickly.

"I never knew Melena Thropp had a sister." She said, knitting her brows.

"She never talked about me much," Nieve waved the question, then faked sadness, "and she died on me."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Dr. Bonvadi said instantly. She turned to a passing nurse. "Can you take her to room seven, Miss Nessarose?" The nurse nodded and motioned for Nieve to follow.

When they reached room seven, Nieve snapped her fingers behind her back. She smirked as the familiar rush of magic flood her fingertips, and a small breeze whipped past her ear.

"Miss Nessarose, you have a visitor." The nurse said, before gesturing to the room for Nieve to enter.

Nessa recognized the face of the woman in the doorway, but she couldn't put a name to her.

"Can I have a minute?" Nieve asked, and the nurse nodded respectfully before closing the door. As soon as the latch closed, Nieve snapped her fingers again.

"What are you doing here?" Nessa demanded, seeing the most hated woman standing in front of her.

"Ah well I see you're doing well." Nieve taunted. "Blue looks good on you."

"Get out of here." The younger girl snarled, staring darkly at the apothecary.

"Oh feisty are we?" Nieve smirked. "I'm glad to see you so…alive. It's funny, people get that way before they die." Her eyes gleamed as she watched Nessa swallow hard.

"So be it then." She raised her chin, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I hope it was worth it dear. Throwing away everything you cared about just to be able to walk for what? Five months?"

"I didn't just do it for me. I did it for everyone who has ever had to take care of me and do ordinary, everyday things for me."

"Well now you're going to have to watch as they mourn over your death. And secretly, your dear sister will grief, feeling that she didn't save you in time."

"How do you know that?"

"I have magic. I know this kind of stuff. I also know that the blonde girl I talked to yesterday was helping you and wasn't interested in my spell, but I told her the antidote anyway."

"I…I didn't send anyone to get the cure." Nessa said honestly, slightly confused by Nieve.

"But your sister did."

"Then your revenge plot has been foiled."

"Oh no, it hasn't," Nieve smirked, a mischievous glint in her storm grey eye. "Because by the time you find the cure, your heart will have already withered away."

"I believe in Elphaba." Nessa protested.

"Have a fun three days." The woman looked out the window, only to see the sun setting on the horizon, "Oops. I mean two days."

And with that, she left the room.

As soon as she was alone, Nessa grabbed one of the pillows from behind her and threw it as hard as she could at the door. And that's when things got weird. Her vision was blurry and her head was spinning. The world was turning white around her, which was strange considering the sun was disappearing behind the land. Her chest was tightening, and breathing became harder and harder.

"Help!" She croaked.

Doctors and nurses flooded the room, attempting to find the problem. They grabbed her arms and shouted to each other about various things in medical talk.

Nessa looked up and saw Elphaba, Galinda, Boq, Fiyero, and her Father all standing in the doorway.

And that's when she fell.

Down and away.

* * *

**Sorry for cliffies…hehe no I'm not.**


	18. Watchdog

**So, should I publish a new book called _"To Kill an Apothecary"_?**

**ElphieIsPopular was the 150th reviewer. Wow all three so far.**

* * *

When Nessarose became unresponsive, Dr. Bonvadi knew they were in trouble. She frantically, yet gracefully moved all over the room with the nurses and other doctors in attempt to find the issue. She pushed two fingers against the girl's pulse point, and releases a slight breath of relieve when the uneven thumping was still there.

"Dr. Bonvadi!"

The woman turned, only to see one of the younger nurses, Rya, standing next to Nessa, holding her wrist and staring at it with concern. "You may want to look at this." She said.

Dr. Bonvadi looked over and gasped. One of the veins in her arm was black, and two more were on the way.

"How is that possible?" Rya asked.

"I don't know." The Doctor scratched her head. "I've been a doctor for twenty years and I've never seen anything like this. Her entire case is strange."

They ran tests for hours into the night. Dr. Bonvadi was still unsure, but she thought she figured out what was ailing the Governor's Daughter.

She opened the door into the hall.

The green girl, the blonde, the Prince, the Munchkin, and the Governor all looked up at the same time.

"She's asleep."

"What about her heart?" Elphaba asked, jumping to her feet.

"That's the thing. We think it is cardiac arrhythmia, but she has some extremely unusual symptoms."

"Such as?" Frex was completely in the dark about the whole situation.

"Well sudden and unexplained loss of consciousness and responsiveness, as well as her veins turning black." Dr. Bonvadi explained. "We don't know if she'll pull through."

"No." Elphaba whispered in disbelief, stumbling into Fiyero's arms. "There has to be a way." Galinda jumped slightly, before grabbing the green girl's hand.

"Excuse us for a moment." She said, before dragging Elphaba away.

"What Glin?" Elphaba hissed once they were out of earshot.

"I found the antidote." Galinda whispered back, smiling broadly.

"You did? What is it?!"

"A token from the one who loves her most."

"Damn it!" Elphaba cursed, turning away from the blonde.

"What Elphie? We found it! We, well more accurately you, can save her!"

"It's not that simple." Elphaba glanced at the blonde over her shoulder. "Glin, we don't even know where to begin. She has two days."

"It's better than one day." Galinda offered. "And if there's anyone who can figure it out it's you." She reassuringly laid a hand on Elphaba's shoulder. "You can do it. You can figure it out."

Elphaba's face lit up and she snapped her fingers. "I got it."

* * *

A telltale way to know you're dreaming: your sister's boyfriend is dancing a waltz in nothing but his boxer shorts.

Yup, Nessa was definitely dreaming.

And it was one of the strangest dreams she ever had.

Once the scarring scene of Fiyero faded, Nessa realized she wasn't asleep. Well she was, but she wasn't. She opened her eyes, to find herself staring into the room of doctors swarming her body.

But she was standing on the opposite side of the room. Standing.

"Confused my pretty?" A voice jeered behind her. A voice Nessa knew and despised all too well.

"Get out." Nessa snarled, not turning.

"No." Dark Nessa smiled innocently...as innocently as a person like she could.

"What do you want then?" The blue dressed girl whirled around sharply, "Are you happy yet? I'm dying in a freaking hospital, and no one can save me. I have two days left to live, so can you just let me live those two days in peace?!"

Dark Nessa clicked her tongue. "You're learning. I'm rubbing off on you apparently."

"No, you're just pissing me off."

"That's my job." The dark girl grabbed the other's wrist and hauled her into the hallway, just as Dr. Bonvadi was called over by a nurse to look at something.

The two stood in silence as Dr. Bonvadi relayed the news to the group. Galinda pulled Elphaba off into another hall, but the two Nessas remained.

"Governor Thropp? Are you alright?" Fiyero asked carefully, noticing the pained expression on Frexpar's face.

"I've certainly been better." The governor tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"Do you think she'll make it?" Boq looked up at the taller man.

He sighed, before turning to the window. His hands clasped tightly behind his back as his eyes focused out into the distance.

"I have faith," Frex didn't turn from the glass, as if he was talking directly to it, "that Nessa will make it. She's always been a fighter." He paused, and took a deep breath. "She's had ten surgeries to try to fix her legs. Ten. Once she turned eleven and was going in for her sixth, she never seemed phased. I would tell her of the next scheduled one and she would simply agree."

"Sir?" Fiyero and Boq asked, unsure of where the Governor was going with his story.

"I never thought, that after all these years, the surgery failures would be what led her to the intensive care unit. If one of them had worked, even a little, she wouldn't be here. I think she feels I hate her legs. I just want to help her."

"Sir, if I may," Boq spoke up, timidly, "From what I've seen, which is limited, Nessa did always feel ostracized and below everyone else due to her legs. She was insecure about them from the first day I met her. Whenever we'd go out, I'd always have to be careful where and what I planned."

"And," Fiyero jumped in, "Elphaba would seriously glare at or threaten to hex anyone who would say anything at all bad about her sister."

"Sometimes we'd joke she was the watchdog." Boq chuckled, but stopped immediately when he noted Frex's face. "What?"

"She feels guilty." He said softly.

"Guilty? About what?"

Frex sighed, and hesitated for the longest moment of their lives, before recounting a long story to the boys of milkflowers, premature birth, and untimely death.

"That's why she does that. She feels she needs to win forgiveness." He bowed his head and entwined his fingers.

"Sir?" Boq asked.

Frex didn't respond.

For the first time since his second daughter's birth, the Governor of Munchkinland, Frexspar Thropp, prayed to Lurline, the Unnamed God, even Ozma, in hopes that any of them could save his precious Nessarose.

At that moment, Nessa shot through a black spot and opened her eyes. She found herself back in her hospital bed, and the sun was just cresting the horizon.

"She's awake!" Rya exclaimed, seeing the fluttering of eyelids and the groaning of pain.

More doctors. More nurses. More fear.

They did a quick inspection, and finally the room cleared.

"Hello!" A voice chirped.

A stuffed dog with black and brown fur, appeared above the footboard of the bed. It was levitating in midair and its beady black eyes were sparkling. Suddenly, a green hand shot up from under it and grabbed it, stilling its mid-air movements. Elphaba stood up into view, clutching the stuffed dog, before kneeling down next to the bed.

"It's Mr. Snuffles." She smiled. Nessa laughed, remembering when she got the dog.

_The Governor's Mansion was alight with life, on a very special day in spring. It was a day Frexspar had been planning for weeks._

_Elphaba, seven at the time, ran through the door excited. A blue and red wrapped package was tucked under her arm as she flew into the parlor._

"_Happy sixth birthday Nessie!" Elphaba said excitedly to Nessa. The younger Thropp turned around, her face lighting up at the sight of her sister._

"_Fabala!" She squealed, extending her arms to her sister. Said sister hurried over, a wrapped box in her grip._

_The younger girl tore the paper off the box, the only witness being Elphaba. The box contained a small stuffed dog._

"_I love it!" The girl hugged the fluffy thing to her chest, the fur tickling her cheek._

"_What's his name?" Elphaba asked._

"_Mr. Snuffles!" Nessa exclaimed. _

"_Mr. Snuffles it is then." Elphaba laughed._

"What's he doing here?" Nessa asked, lightly stroking the stuffed dog's fur.

"He may be the antidote."

"What's the antidote?"

"A token from the one who loves you most." Elphaba answered.

"You think that's him? A dog you gave me over ten years ago?"

"It was worth a shot. We…I don't know what to do."

"It's not going to work Elphaba. I'm going to die. I've accepted it. So why can't you?"

Tears sprang into Elphaba's eyes as she tightly grasped Nessa's hand. "Because I can't afford to lose you. I already lost Mother, and if you died I'd never forgive myself."

"Well you're going to have to Elphaba." Nessa lowered her eyes to her lap. "Because I don't think we'll find the 'token.'"

"You know me, I won't give up until the Cows go home." Elphaba cracked a smile. While getting to her feet, she lightly squeezed Nessa's hand. With one final look, Elphaba vacated the room.

* * *

Dr. Bonvadi entered room seven about an hour later to relay some test results to the patient, who she found asleep in the bed, a notebook open on her lap. The older woman's curiosity got the better of her, and she craned her neck to read the page.

On one page, a tombstone was sketched. It read:

_Nessarose Thropp_

_The Wicked Witch of the East_

_Died Alone and Loveless_

On the opposite page, a few lines of a poem where written, accompanying a light drawing of Nessarose and Elphaba. They were smiling at each other and hugging slightly.

_So I put my arms around you around you_

_And I know that I'll be leaving soon_

Dr. Bonvadi felt her heart break for the girl. But she had to do her job, and lightly shook her awake.

"Yes Doctor?" Nessa asked once she was fully awake.

"We got results back."

"On what?"

"We have no idea what is ailing you, but I do know one thing."

"And what would that be?" Dr. Bonvadi looked down, not wanting to make eye contact, but spoke anyway.

"You're terminal."

Nessa nodded.

"I know."

* * *

**Song Used (Nessa's mini poem)- "Dancing" by Elisa**

**Two references. One obvious. One from another fanfiction. Tell me.**


	19. Broken Stars

**Well...um...feels. LOTS. OF. FEELS. IN. THIS. CHAPTER. WARNING YOU NOW.**

**The references were to the Wicked Witch of the East (she's asleep, what about her heart) and **_**In the Dark **_**by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies (waltzing in underwear).**

**I'M OFFICIALLY ON SUMMER BREAK. You can expect more updates.**

**Wanli8970: It means they're dying.**

**a-isforalison: Get a boat for this chapter.**

* * *

As the sun rose over the hills in the east, some farmers were delighted to get a head start on cropping. Some businesses were bustling to prepare for the workday. Shiz students were excited for their graduation.

But for a select few residing at Gillikin Hospital, the day was anything but happy.

It was the day.

_This is the end._

Elphaba and Galinda hadn't slept in two days. The green girl hand no reign over her emotions, which were all over the place, so the blonde had multiple pep talks and best friend hugs, but nothing helped.

_Hold your breath and count to ten._

Dr. Bonvadi emerged from room seven with a solemn face.

"I'd recommend taking today to say your goodbyes." She said plainly. She hated this part of the job. A patient is dying and they can't do anything to help. Now the family and friends have to say goodbye forever. Dr. Bonvadi took a deep breath. "Who's first?"

_Feel the earth move and then. _

For some reason, all eyes turned to Boq.

"Why me?" He asked.

"Go." Elphaba commanded, pointing to the closed door. He wanted to protest, but he thought it best not to fight with the girl whose sister was going to die that day.

"Fine." He agreed, before cautiously approaching the barrier between the rooms. His hand grasped the cold, metal knob and slowly turned. The door swung open, revealing Nessa drawing in her journal.

"Hey." Boq said awkwardly, shutting the door behind him.

"Hi." She whispered, voice hoarse, putting her journal aside.

"So…um…" Boq fumbled with his words, trying to find the words to properly say 'I'm saying goodbye since you're dying.'

"Dr. Bonvadi sent you in to say your goodbyes." She finished softly for him. He nodded subtly, his eyes not leaving her face. "Just as well I suppose. I was stupid and selfish. I shouldn't have even gone there in the first place. It wasn't worth it to break every relationship I've had just to walk for such a short time."

"Weren't you happy being out of that chair?"

"No," Nessa looked past Boq towards the wall, "because I'm dying. Slowly and painfully. I've hurt so many people. I've driven the Thropp name into the ground basically."

Nessa paused for a moment, taking a breath and releasing it slowly.

"Elphaba and Fiyero broke up over me. Father practically disowned me and so did Elphaba. You broke up with me."

"Nessa," Boq started, kneeling down next to the bed. "I'll admit it. I was wrong. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have given you the short stick."

"I deserved it." She whispered, still refusing to look at him.

"Look at me," He placed a hand on the side of her face and gently moved it so she faced him, "I still love you Nessarose Thropp." With that, he pushed his lips to hers.

Surprised, the girl squeaked slightly. But then all remote instinct kicked in and she tangled her weak, pale fingers into his thick hair.

A few moments later, they both came up for air. Hazel eyes stared into dark brown, which were tinged with black.

"Boq…I love you too." She whispered, before gently capturing his lips again.

_Hear my heart burst again._

* * *

"Who's next?" Boq asked when he came out a few minutes later. His hair was tousled and he had a goofy, stupid grin on his face.

"What went on in there?" Galinda asked, a slightly disturbed look on her face.

"Nessa and I admitted our undying love for each other." Boq stated.

"Um…okay…" Fiyero said, slipping into room seven.

"Hey Nessa." He said, bringing up a chair.

"Hi Fifi." She smirked softly.

"I know you heard about me and Fae, but I know that we're going to get back together, so you don't have to worry about her."

"Take care of her Fiyero, or so help me I will haunt you. And you won't like it." She gently laid a hand on top of his, and he smiled gently. "Fiyero, you're like a brother, but one I know will probably either do great things or nothing at all with his life." She wrinkled her nose slightly. "Which is a little strange considering you're romantically involved with my biological sister."

Fiyero laughed, before looking back at Nessa.

"I'll take care of her. I promise."

_For this is the end._

He stood up and left.

* * *

"Galinda?" Fiyero spotted the blonde. "You want to go next?"

"Um sure…I guess…" She quickly walked into the hospital room.

"Hi Nessa." She said. It was quite obvious that the blonde was heartbroken; her voice lacked its usual enthusiasm and bounce.

_I've drowned and dreamt this moment._

"Hi Galinda."

"I know we were never great friends and-" Galinda began, but she stopped when Nessa raised a hand.

"You're one of the best things that has ever happened to Elphaba. Don't ever leave her. I don't care what happens. Just don't."

"You'd have to pry me off of Elphie over my cold, dead hands." Galinda said, earning her a look from the brunette. "Bad choice of words."

"Yeah. Little bit."

The two women laughed, causing Nessa to have a coughing fit. Galinda gently whacked her on the back a few times.

_So overdue I owe them._

"Galinda, I'm sorry for all I've said to you. You're smarter than anyone gives you credit for. Remember that." Nessa said with a small smile.

"Thanks Nessa." Galinda giggled and gave her a watery smile.

_Swept away I'm stolen._

* * *

"No." Elphaba said, when Galinda came back into the room and opened her mouth to speak. "I'm not next."

Frexspar swallowed the lump in his throat, he was planning to go last. He wasn't ready.

_Let the sky fall. _

"Father?" Elphaba asked, gesturing towards the room.

"I guess I'll go." He whispered. The man bowed his head, silently hoping to avoid the situation. But he couldn't.

_When it crumbles._

"Nessie?" Frex's face appeared in the room and Nessa smiled weakly.

"Hi Father."

"Hello Nessa." He pulled up a chair and sat beside her bed. Looking down, he gently took her cold hand in his. "I can't believe this. I refuse to believe this."

"Father, you have to. It's the third night. The third night is the process finishes."

"What process?" Frex suddenly had a dark look in his eyes.

Nessa, voice weak and raspy, told him the whole story. Of Nieve, the mirror, the potion, and her dark heart.

"Nieve is senselessly murdering you as revenge for when I protected her?" Frex demanded.

"Why did you tell her mother about her plan?"

"I didn't…I didn't want her to go down a dark path. If she killed her mother, she would go down a literal dark path."

"But now I am."

"No, you aren't." Frex protested softly. "Your heart may be dark, but it shouldn't be. You were happy. You had love. You were bright."

Nessa giggled slightly, before fully remembering the situation.

"I'm sorry Father. I shouldn't have trusted her. I was stupid."

"Nessarose," Frex spoke seriously, "You were fooled by her, just as I was. Don't blame yourself. That woman is, quite literally, a grey eyed snake."

"I love you Father."

"I love you too, my precious Rose." Frex kissed her cheek. He rose and made for the door, but Nessa speaking again stopped him.

"I'll finally meet Mother." She said wistfully.

Frex sucked in a breath heavily. He knew Melena had played a large part in Nieve wanting revenge, but he refused to admit it. The Governor didn't turn, but straightened his back and walked out of the room wordlessly.

_We will stand tall and face it all._

He shut the door softly.

* * *

"Elphaba. You're the last to go."

All eyes focused on the green girl. She took a deep breath and nodded. Elphaba, with shaking hands, opened the door to the room.

Her dark eyes focused on her beloved sister in the bed. Her skin was deathly pale, and veins like spider webs were a stark contrast.

"Nessie…" Elphaba breathed, not wanting to believe it. It was the third day, almost sunset.

"Elphaba..." Nessa replied. Extending a trembling hand, Nessa beckoned for her sister to come closer. Elphaba practically flew across the room without hesitation.

"Please don't go Nessie. You can't leave me."

"You'll have Galinda, she's basically your other sister," Nessa said, "And Fiyero too. I warned him that I'll haunt him from the grave if he ever hurts you."

Elphaba laughed softly, "I can imagine." She paused for a moment, envisioning her boyfriend claiming that he was being haunted by the spirit of her dead sister. "I'll never be able to fill the hole in my heart you're going to create. I'll be losing the other half of me."

"I will never leave you." Nessa sang quietly.

"I will never go away." Elphaba responded.

"We were meant to share each moment. Beside you is where I will stay. Evermore and always. We'll be one though we're two. For I will never leave you." They sang together, their voices harmonious.

"You'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart." Elphaba whispered, her eyes welling with tears. She took the pale hand and placed it over her heart. Nessa took a green hand and placed it over her own withering, black heart.

At this point, the sun had almost set. Galinda, Fiyero, Boq, and Frex all gathered in the doorway. Not a single eye was dry.

"I love you Nessie." Elphaba said, a tear rolling down her green cheek. "Forever and always."

"I love you too…Fabala…" The old nickname was the last word off blanched lips, before Nessarose Thropp fell limp against the sheets and didn't move again.

* * *

**First, technicalities. Songs used: Skyfall- Adele, I Will Never Leave You- Side Show, and a brief For Good reference too.**

**Second.**

***hides***


	20. Detachment

**LifelongLeahstar: Thanks!**

**The Internet Sa****ss Queen: No don't die!**

**Wanli8970: Crap! *hides***

* * *

Elphaba sucked in a breath as her sister's eyes closed and her body fell against the pillows. Her face was a lackluster white and the veins on her neck stood out in their black glory.

"Nessie? Nessie wake up," Elphaba's voice was soft as she spoke, "We have to go back to Shiz. Today's promotion. We're going to be sophomores. Don't you want to graduate together? You can't unless you wake up Nessie. Please. Please wake up."

Dr. Bonvadi appeared behind the green girl and laid a gentle hand on her upper back.

"I'm sorry Miss Elphaba." She started, before pausing.

_Don't say it. Don't say it. Please don't say it._ Elphaba thought frantically, as if she could somehow talk to the woman.

"Miss Nessarose is dead." The words, despite their soft, gentle tone, cut through Elphaba's being like she was a pat of butter.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Elphaba pleaded, grasping her sister's hand.

"I'm afraid we've done everything we could." Dr. Bonvadi said sadly.

Elphaba's dark eyes rested once again on Nessa's face. She appeared to just be sleeping. But she wasn't. Elphaba knew that.

Her Nessa, her sweet, innocent little sister, was dead. Gone. Not coming back.

* * *

Nieve's mediocre, uneventful day got much better when she heard a great cracking sound. She whirred around to see the near shattered mirror she had talked to on many occasions was covered in cracks.

It was done.

Frex had paid for what he'd done.

Now for part two of Nieve's plan. She didn't even know about it when she started, but after studying up on her potion she found it.

"Come to me, dark being." She said, staring at the various cracks.

"You called?" A voice asked from behind, boredom evident in their tone. Nieve turned to face none other than Dark Nessa, twirling a section of hair around her finger.

Nieve froze for a minute, taking in the pure specimen of darkness standing before her. It _radiated _evil. Dark Nessa rolled her eyes. "Look I'm very busy, I don't have all day, so if you're going to stand there and gawk, I'm leaving."

"No, no. Stay. We have much to discuss." Nieve gestured to one of the chairs, eyes not leaving the girl's face.

Skeptically, she took a seat. "Fine, but make it quick. Now that I'm free, I have a loaded agenda. Nessa is, excuse me, _was,_" The girl corrected with a dark chuckle, "too nice. Even with the black heart. I have some stuff to break."

The apothecary nodded. With a slight wave of her hand, a teacup appeared in her grip.

"You know," Nieve said, raising the cup to her lips, "I was the one who gave you your freedom, so really you're indebted to me."

"Ha. As if I would ever serve someone like you. You're soft. About as dark and evil as a spring pony." Dark Nessa smirked, her words angering Nieve just as she had planned. "So I'm going to leave before I go soft too." She stood up and made for the door of the shop.

"I don't think so, my pretty." Nieve shot up and flung her hand out. Her magic coursed through her, and suddenly Dark Nessa felt as if someone was holding her neck and was pulling her up into the air.

"Wh-what a-are you d-doing?" She sputtered, still attempting escape. The invisible grip around her neck tightened as she fought it.

"You're not leaving yet. I'm not done with you yet."

"What d-do y-you w-want?" Dark Nessa was losing air. Her piercing black eyes focused on the gently smirking apothecary looking up at her.

"Services. I want you to work for me."

"Never."

"I suppose I'll settle for your darkness. I want every dark molecule in your body." With that, Nieve began to chant in a mysterious language.

"S-stop! Fine! I-I'll work for you!" Dark Nessa was dropped to the floor, heaving for breath, before she stood up.

"Glad we could make an agreement." Nieve grinned as Dark Nessa brushed off her dress.

"What do I do first?"

"Well, Miss Nessarose just died in the hospital, I want you to rub as much salt in the wound as possible. Tell Frexspar that it was his fault."

The girl allowed a smug smile. Her fingers tingled as she vanished.

Nieve was left alone in her shop, the last black wisps of Dark Nessa's disappearance floating off. A black raven pecked the window, catching Nieve's attention.

A _raven. _The symbol of her mother. Their family crest had a raven.

She cautiously opened the window and the bird cocked its head at her confusedly. It extended its leg to her, which had a tiny piece of parchment rolled neatly around it. With gently hands, Nieve removed it. She then lightly stroked its head, and it ruffled its feathers before flying off.

Nieve unrolled the piece of paper.

_I'm sorry for all I've done to you. I sent that Thropp girl the flyer to get her to go to your shop. Revenge is sweet my dear._

_-Mother_

* * *

Dr. Bonvadi watched as Elphaba stared sadly at the face of her deceased sister. No words were spoken. Nothing. Just an empty stare.

All the others had filed into the room too. Galinda was crying into Boq's chest, refusing to look at her roommate. The Munchkin held her tight in his arms, rubbing her back as she gradually soaked through his shirt in tears. Fiyero slowly approached his now once again girlfriend. He gently tried to move her, but she couldn't be moved.

Frex watched the scene from the room's corner, looking at the ceiling. He didn't want to see the girl in the bed. His own daughter. His flesh and blood. She was dead.

"What a touching display of grief." A female voice, a _familiar _female voice, sneered from the doorway.

Almost comically, all heads in the room turned in unison. Even better, they all gasped at the same time.

"Did you miss me?" Dark Nessa asked, sauntering into the room. Bulging eyes moved fleetingly from the dead girl to the standing one.

"Are y-you her?" Fiyero asked, scared by the picture of terror in front of him. No one could blame him for the high pitch of his voice and the visual shaking of his hand as he pointed to Nessa's pale face.

"No, brainless." She said sassily, "Of course I am. I'm the darkness that was dormant within her for all those years. Now I'm free," Dark Nessa stretched her arms, "and I have full intent on torturing all of you."

Slowly, she turned on the heels of her ruby slippers to face Frex. "Especially, you."

"Why me?" He asked, hiding the pang of fear he felt.

"This was, after all, your fault. If not for you, your precious Nessarose would still be alive. Nieve wanted to make sure that you paid for what you did to her all those years ago. But I, personally, want to thank you. Because of you, I've been detached from that goody-two shoes soul I was bound to. I have my own body, my own soul composed of pure darkness. I don't have to fight for control of that one anymore."

"So all that time…all those insults…it was you?" Galinda asked incredulously.

"Well ring the bell and give her a prize, Blondie has figured it out!" Dark Nessa smiled evilly.

"I'm smarter than you think." Galinda spat back.

"Sure you are. I'll make sure to be there next time you fail a test. Because now I can go anywhere at any time, of my own accord. Man it feels good to be free."

Elphaba, though not looking at Dark Nessa, spoke to her with more confidence than anyone else. "You took my sister from me. You stole her life for your own. And I may not have found the antidote in time, but believe me, you won't last. I know magic myself, and a dark being can only be separated from the owner for so long before it dies itself."

Dark Nessa sneered one last time, before she disappeared into black wisps.

After recovering from the state of shock, Dr. Bonvadi was the first to speak.

"Miss Elphaba, we need to vacate this room for the next patient. I'm sorry, but your sister is dead."

Elphaba, strangely calm, spoke again. "Can I have a moment alone please?"

Dr. Bonvadi bit her lip, but after a look at the green girl's face, she complied. The nurses, doctors, family and friends left the room.

"I can't believe this is how it ended. For the longest time, I thought it would take something as crazy as a house flying through the air to divide us. I expected us to be old and brittle when one of us died. Not as college freshman on promotion day."

By the end, Elphaba lost any sense of control she had, and she fell against her sister's limp body. She sobbed into scratchy hospital sheets. Guilt, anger, despair, and most of all sadness, poured out of her through her tears onto the bedspread and the blue gown on Nessa's body.

"I'm sorry Nessa." She said between sobs. "I've failed you. I promised on the Northern Ozian Stars that I would save you, but I didn't. I couldn't. I wanted to with all of my being. I tried. Lurline knows I tried." Elphaba pulled back, crystal tears still spilling down green cheeks. She gently leaned down, her lips barely brushing her sister's cold, pale forehead. "I love you." She whispered.

Wiping her cheeks, Elphaba stood up and turned away.

"E-Elphaba?"


	21. Beautiful Nothings

**Is it bad that I wrote this chapter while alternating attention to YouTube, lounging on couch, listening to Adele? (I have a very, **_**very **_**long Adele playlist).**

**I HAVE A REASON THIS WAS LATE. The power was cut at my house just before I finished and it didn't come back in time. I just got it back.**

**ElphieIsPopular: I tried. I did.**

**Fae'sFlower: They will see each other… *smirk***

**AirHawk19: Yeah…I couldn't…**

* * *

Elphaba violently spun on her heels to face the hospital bed. Could it be? She stared in awe and confusion as Nessa's eyes fluttered open, her brown irises reflecting fear and she too was confused.

"F-Fabala?"

To Elphaba, the three syllables of her childhood nickname had never sounded more beautiful than when they fell from the lips of the bedridden girl in front of her.

Except for the fact that Elphaba knew it wasn't true. She _wanted _to believe it. She _wanted _to believe that what she was seeing was real.

But it couldn't be. It shouldn't have happened. It _couldn't _have happened. She shook her head, stepping back.

"N-no…you're dead. I saw you die. What kind of magic trickery is this?!" She demanded.

"Fabala…i-it's m-me." Nessa rasped out.

"It c-can't be…" Elphaba backed up, accidentally walking into a set of drawers in the corner, causing a loud crashing.

Dr. Bonvadi rushed into the room at the sound, only to see Elphaba looking as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Miss Elphaba? Are you alright?" She asked, helping the green girl steady. Elphaba turned to her, her brown eyes wide and green face surprisingly pale. She extended a shaky, verdant hand to the bed, not diverting her eyes from the Doctor's.

Dr. Bonvadi, thoroughly confused, looked at Nessarose. She gasped at the sight of the girl, who was (previously?) dead, but her eyes were open and she was breathing.

"How?" Dr. Bonvadi breathed, moving towards the bed. She gently grabbed Nessa's left arm. The veins, still black, caught her attention first, but it quickly shifted when she felt a weak, yet steady, pulse emanating from the wrist. "She was…she is…"

"A token from the one who loves her most." Elphaba whispered, walking forward. She gently pushed a few stray hairs from her sister's forehead. There was a tiny green imprint that bare the shape of the lips that had gently touched it minutes ago.

"What?"

"Magic, Dr. Bonvadi. Magic." Elphaba smiled, allowing her hand to rest on Nessa's hairline.

* * *

Dark Nessa returned to Nieve's shop when she finished her work in the hospital. Nieve was pleasantly surprised when, off to her left, the room swirled with black tendrils as the dark soul made her appearance.

"How did it go dearie? Does Frex feel pure regret?" The apothecary asked when she saw the girl, as casually as if they were making small talk.

"Oh yes. I even thanked him for setting me free. That just made it better." Dark Nessa said, smiling giddily as she sauntered over to the apothecary.

"Very good. Now, if I let you freely use your dark magic, will you continue to help me?" Nieve allowed a dark smile.

"I would love to. What's next?" Dark Nessa rubbed her hands together, but she suddenly stopped. Nieve confusedly knit her brows together as the other woman looked around, panic-stricken. She moved wildly about the room.

"It can't be!" She snarled loudly. "It's not possible." Dark Nessa fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.

"She…she's alive." She wheezed, sounding as if someone had punched her in the gut. A mangled, deep cry of pain ripped from her throat.

Nieve gasped as she realized what was happening. The dark girl was crumbling away, forced to return to the soul and body she had been linked to. She couldn't let that happen.

Hastily, Nieve grabbed a spell book and threw it on the floor in front of Dark Nessa. Finding the spell was growing difficult as black wisps from the girl began to blur her vision. Finally she found it.

"Arturm latum faret potum. Arturm latum faret potum." She chanted repeatedly, gracefully waving her arms over the book in swirling motions.

Dark Nessa howled in pain again, but then a strange tingling sensation filled her. She felt strength. Power.

Pure, raw, dark, power.

The ruby slippers adorning her feet glowed bright red.

"What have you done?" Dark Nessa whispered in awe.

Nieve smirked. "Magic."

"No duh," Dark Nessa countered sassily, "What did you actually do?"

"You were your own being. And this little spell gave you your own soul again, but for only twenty four hours."

"So that means-"

"Yes." Nieve cut her short. "If you want to stay how you are, you have to kill Miss Nessarose within the next day, or you will return to her soul."

"How should I do it? A slit neck…a good ol' fashion stab…" Dark Nessa rambled off options, but stopped when Nieve raised a hand.

"You have to break her."

"What?"

"Break her. Get inside her head. Break her soul. Or if you can somehow regain complete control over her, you can do that as well. It's the only way you can stay your own being."

Brain buzzing, Dark Nessa smirked and disappeared.

Nieve stood up and stretched. She was getting too old for this.

"You're never too old for revenge my dear."

Startled, the apothecary turned, only to come face to face with none other than her mother.

"M-mother?" She whispered, stepping back.

"Hello dear." The old woman's hair was mostly grey, and they matched her eyes. The same storm grey colored irises that Nieve had inherited. Her long, lanky fingers entwined as her hands rested on her stomach.

"What do you want?" Nieve snarled, taking on a defensive stance against the other woman. She was surprised when her mother pulled her into a hug. Nieve roughly tore away, tripping over the book on the floor behind her.

"I wanted to see your revenge plot succeed. I did, after all, have a hand in it."

"I thought you never wanted to see me again." Nieve shot back.

"Well I didn't, but then I started to think. I missed you."

"For twenty years, I heard nothing from you. Twenty Oz-damned years."

"Dear-" Nieve's mother started, but her daughter was on a roll.

"And for the twenty years I lived with you, I was your personal slave!" Her grey eyes were alight with fire. The apothecary turned away.

"Nieve would you listen! I'm sorry!"

"Sure." Nieve scoffed, looking at her mother over her shoulder. "Well it's a little late for that. Twenty years too late!"

She whipped around, thrusting out her arms and pressing the heels of her palms together. A solid beam of black magic shot from her hands, blasting her mother backwards. She collapsed to the floor, dead.

Nieve's chest heaved as she collected herself. Realizing what she'd just done, Nieve longed for an empty, guilty feeling, but she didn't get one.

No regret.

No guilt.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

* * *

The room was crowded.

Very, very crowded.

Several doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to stable the Thropp girl who had woken up without explanation.

Galinda, Boq, Fiyero, Frex, and Elphaba watched from the sidelines. Galinda and Fiyero both tightly gripped Elphaba's hands, as the green girl's anxiety raised with every passing moment, and it spiked when Nessa's eyes closed again.

Inside the girl's head, a war was raging.

'_Come on…wake up…wake up and see the one who loves you most…'_

_Nessa desperately wanted to. More than anything. But she couldn't. It was like she was being pulled away from her body._

_No. She fought back. It was as if she was clutching to the last string of life she had._

In all the excitement, despite the dozen people in the cramped room, no one noticed a single black tendril creep in through an open window and slip into Nessa's ear subtly.

"_Well well….look what we have here." A voice taunted Nessa, its tone was soft and smooth._

_Nessa looked around fleetingly. She wasn't surprised when Dark Nessa descended into her line of sight._

"_What do you want?" Nessa asked upon seeing her dark twin._

"_You, my pretty, need to go back to sleep. I want my freedom, and I can't have it as long as you're still alive."_

"_You can't kill me."_

_Dark Nessa laughed. "I don't need to. I can control you. All I need to do…is break you."_

"_Break me?"_

"_You don't need to know the logistics of it all, but believe me, I will win. You can't fight the darkness. You have to succumb to my every will. Makes my job that much more enjoyable."_

_Without warning, Nessa swung her wrist and her fist connected with the jaw of her twin. The girl did flinch, but cackled._

"_Feisty are we?" Dark Nessa smirked._

"_I'm tired of you. You don't own me. You can't control me. And you never will again!" Nessa spat back venomously, her confidence going up a smidge._

"_If only it were that easy." Dark Nessa snarled, voice hushed. "It's not." With that, she lunged at the other girl, knocking her down. She grabbed her wrists, effectively pinning her down._

"_You know how this will end my pretty, so give in. This way it'll hurt less. You have nothing to lose."_

_Nessa opened her mouth to fire back, but hesitated. She'd fought so much, went through so much pain and suffering, and for what? For nothing. She felt herself slipping away._

_A smug smile crept on the lips of her dark twin._

"Heart rate dropping!" Dr. Bonvadi called, slightly panicked. Her jaw set in determination. She wouldn't lose this girl. Not again.

"_That's it, my pretty. Let me win. Accept your darkness." Dark Nessa whispered softly._

_Nessa relaxed slightly. She felt several spindly tendrils wind their way around her body; up her legs, across her abdomen, and most importantly over her torso. One by dark one, they dipped beneath her skin into her empty chest. They combined into a black heart, beating strong. _

"Stabilizing!" The Doctor shouted. She was slightly relieved. The other occupants of the room released held breaths.

_Nessa opened her eyes again. Dark Nessa was gone, but a voice had appeared in her head, whispering cruel, vile things. _

_Suddenly it snapped in Nessa what had just happened. She hadn't controlled it. But now, her dark twin was pulling the strings. Nessa wanted to fight. She wanted to break away from the darkness. _

_She just…couldn't. It was a part of her._

_Dark Nessa sensed this and released a cruel laugh. She had full control. _

"_My pretty…you're mine now…"_

* * *

**Wanli8970: I'm going to have Freyja coming for me aren't I?**


	22. Restless Silver

**Look! An update on its proper day, and at a reasonable hour! Is Nia the only one protecting me? Crap…I'm in trouble after this chapter.**

**Fae'sFlower: Will you protect me from Freyja? And ElphieIsPopular? **

**RedApple435: Thank you!**

**Wanli8970: Well I'm screwed now aren't I?**

* * *

Nieve's long fingers were tangled in her dark hair when she finally came to terms with what she'd done. She felt a slight pinch in her chest as she saw her mother's body lying motionless on the floor. But no guilt.

With a heavy exhale and a wave of her hand, Nieve used her magic and her mother dissolved. Turning away, her eyes fell to rest on the spell book used that day when she cursed Nessarose, sitting peacefully on her desk, and somehow it was open to the exact page of the curse.

A loud yelp of anger erupted from her lips as she slammed the book shut and shoved it off the desk. The heavy book dragged multiple other papers and smaller books with it onto the floor with a _thump_.

One of the only papers left on the desk was an experimental potion recipe she had planned to brew as an accompaniment to the curse. Nieve picked it up and read it over, realizing she had all the ingredients needed.

_Better late than never. _Nieve though to herself as she went to the back room and began to brew.

* * *

Nessa almost gave everyone a heart attack when she suddenly woke up.

"Where am I?" She demanded, before she made the realization she was in a hospital. "Yeah…no. Let me out of here."

"Miss Nessarose, you were just in a coma. You can't leave yet." Dr. Bonvadi said, taking a step closer.

"I can do whatever I want." Nessa replied, swinging her legs off the bed and pushing herself forward. She failed to realize anything was wrong until she found herself face down on the carpet. The doctors and nurses swarmed around. One gingerly reached out a hand to help her up, and was surprised when Nessa roughly slapped her hand away.

"Back up." She snarled. The hospital staff, genuinely scared, obeyed. Nessa looked down and realized the absence of the ruby slippers.

"Stupid legs." She muttered, snapping her fingers. A small plume of black smoke obscured her feet, and when it dissipated, the blasted ruby slippers were present. Satisfied, she stood up. Then, she noticed something else.

"What the hell am I wearing?" Nessa asked no one in particular, picking at the blue hospital gown. With a quick flourish of her wrist, the boring article was replaced with the black dress. Her hair tied itself back into a tight bun, and a pair of white and black striped stockings materialized on her legs.

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?" She asked sarcastically as she pointed to her mouth, seeing the dumbstruck faces of everyone in the room. Their jaws were practically on the floor. Nessa rolled her black eyes.

"Speak will you?"

"Nessie?" Elphaba whispered, the first to recover from the shock enough to form anything.

"Wow. The first thing you do after I _wake up from a coma _is use that stupid nickname you gave me when I was two? Quality sister." Nessa gave her a sarcastic thumbs up.

Elphaba recoiled, surprised at the harsh words from her sister. Fiyero, suddenly over his fear, puffed out his chest and stood protectively in front of his girlfriend, who had shrunk down a little.

"Back off Nessa." He commanded.

"Aw how cute. Wittle pwince Fiyewo thinks he can be a hero." Nessa said with a mocking tone and an innocent smile.

The Vinkun Prince growled, and suddenly charged. Elphaba wasn't fast enough to stop him, and by the time she moved, Nessa had already fought back.

A small smirk on her face, she flung out her wrist and Fiyero froze in mid-stride. He struggled against dark purple and black binds wrapped around his limbs, but he was secured in place.

"Nah ah ah." She wagged a finger in his face.

At this point all of the room's occupants had returned to their previous, too-shocked-to-speak state.

"Hm," Nessa thoughtfully tapped her index finger to her chin, surveying the room and the people in it, "There's too many people in here." With a wicked smirk, she intricately moved her fingers. Black magic extended from them, and found their ways to the nurses and doctors. Laughing, she watched as they were lifted and removed from the room. The door slammed shut and latched.

"Now that that's done," she said, rubbing her hands together, "I know someone who wants to have a word with you," Nessa pointed at Frex, and the two disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Elphaba gasped and stumbled into Galinda's tight embrace.

"Elphie?" The blonde asked tentatively.

"She's gone." Elphaba said, her voice wavering.

"Yeah…she just disappeared into a dark black swirling mass of scariness."

"No Glin." Elphaba snapped, unintentionally. Seeing her best friend's face, she quickly apologized, "Sorry, I mean Nessa's good, her light, it's been…broken. She's _gone._"

Galinda, utterly confused and befuddled and unsure of what to do, simply tightened her hold on the shaking green girl, whispering soothing words in her ear.

* * *

When Frex's head stopped spinning and the smoke cleared from his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar room.

There were books.

Lots and lots of books.

"You stay here, I'm going to go get her." Nessa said, pushing the older man into a chair.

As she walked to the back room, Frex couldn't deny the sense of dread washing over him.

_It's a her, _he thought, _who…oh Oz no._

He realized who it was just moments before he saw her.

"Nieve." He breathed, slowly getting to his feet. He'd recognize those grey eyes anywhere.

"Frexspar." She said curtly, her lips turning into a scowl.

A satisfied smile on her face, Nessa silently sank into one of the armchairs, eager to watch the scene unfold.

"H-how…wh-when?" Frex stuttered, flabbergasted.

"After I left," she paused, and Frex got the underlying message of _'after I was kicked out'_, "I worked some small jobs and learned the trade, and earned enough money to become a certified apothecary, and bought this shop. Then, eighteen years later, that happened, through...luck let's call it." Without looking away from the man in front of her, Nieve pointed at Nessa.

"Nieve-" Frex started to apologize but stopped when Nieve held up a hand to silence him.

"I don't need your apology." She stated softly. "I heard that you settled down, found a girl, and are…well was…married. Your dreams came true. You have two lovely and intelligent," At this, Nessa gave a slight scoff, "daughters. I wish you nothing but the best for you. Just…don't forget me. Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead." By the time she finished, Nieve couldn't stand to even look at Frex. She turned away, hurt evident in her voice. "I'll find someone like you."

"Bring them all here." Nieve's voice was flat, emotionless even.

Confused, but trusting Nieve, Nessa waved her hands and Elphaba, Galinda, Fiyero, and Boq all appeared in the room. Nessa turned to Nieve, unsure of what the next move was.

Nieve, without a word or even an acknowledgement to any of the visitors, walked to the back room and grabbed the potion, and handed it to Nessa. The girl took the potion, which, ironically, was in the goblet that the black potion from the ruby slipper day was in. It churned over itself, almost restlessly, glowing a bright silver.

"What is this?" She asked, inspecting it.

"It'll ensure complete control." Nieve said.

Elphaba gasped softly, and reached out to her sister. "Nessa please…don't do it."

"You can't tell me what to do, Elphaba," she spat the name roughly, causing the green girl to flinch, "I'm my own person, and I don't need a green monster who destroyed my life to tell me what to do."

The words ricocheted off Elphaba's heart like multiple gunshots. Fiyero joined Galinda in the attempt to calm the green girl, but that wasn't going to happen.

"Nessa," Boq started, stepping forward, "we want you back. _I _want you back. I miss when we would have tea on Sunday and go out to dinner, and you would laugh that I would always take you out to the same restaurant."

"Shut up Boq!" Nessa hissed, glaring at him. Her control was fading.

"Come back Nessa!" Fiyero said, seeing the effect that it was having. "We miss your jokes to lighten the mood."

"I miss having a partner in giving Elphie a makeover!" Galinda interjected.

"I miss you too." A weak voice came from Nessa's lips. "But…I…can't e-escape…"

Seeing this, Nieve allowed a tiny smile that went unnoticed by everyone.

"You can fight it Nessie." Elphaba said. Her voice was soft but supportive at the same time.

"No…I c-can't…"

_You can't fight this…you can't resist it…go back to sleep my pretty…_ The voice in her head whispered, and Nessa unwillingly obeyed, and her small grip of control she had disappeared.

"Come back to us Nessie…come back to me." Elphaba pleaded brokenly.

"STOP!" Nessa bellowed. Black fire spewed from her outstretched hands, dividing the room. Nessa and Nieve on one side, the rest on the other.

Smirking, Nessa held the goblet up to face height.

"A toast!" She exclaimed, "Here's to…a life full of darkness." Nessa taunted, before flipping her wrist back and downing the silver potion, much to the horror of almost everyone else.

Everyone except Nieve.

* * *

**Nieve quoted "Someone L****ike You" by Adele (I've been listening to her nonstop and that's the song that came on during that part and it worked with the scene).**

**I'm going to go hide now… *hides in cave with Wi-Fi and badgers and laptop***


	23. Her Name is Elphaba

**Sorry for lateness, I was at a concert.**

**Okay guys, I'm still having major fangirlisms right now. Why you might ask? Well yesterday afternoon I sent a fan e-mail to Miss Catherine Charlebois. She replied within an hour. SHE FREAKING REPLIED. I nearly threw my phone out the window. **

**For reasons of clarification, the italicized portion of this chapter took place inside Nessa's mind. It's like inception, I know. And in her mind, she can walk so…yeah.**

**Fae'sFlower: Thanks for the castle! It's lovely.**

**rhinoiron: Yeah! The firebats!**

**Now that I'm done with this long AN, on with the chapter.**

* * *

Just moments after the last of the silver potion slid down Nessa's throat, her eye's widened and she fell to the floor, seizing.

"No!" Elphaba screeched. Her magic involuntarily flared, causing the black flames to die down enough for her to jump them. In the blink of an eye, Elphaba found herself beside her sister. Elphaba was so focused on the fact that Nessa was shaking uncontrollably she almost missed Nieve's chanting.

"Tollere detestantur coeant. Luci daret extemplo capturi puellam. Infectumque reddet, quod feci." She chanted quickly, her arms moving gracefully around the spell book in her lap and over Nessa's head.

"Stop!" Elphaba shouted, grabbing Nieve's arm in attempt to still her movements. Unfazed, Nieve roughly pulled away and continued her chanting.

"What are you doing?!" The green girl demanded. Nieve stopped, slowly turning her head to look at her.

"Saving her life." She responded softly.

Surprised, Elphaba suddenly understood the words Nieve was chanting.

'_Remove the curse I have bestowed. Give this girl the light she once held. Undo what I have done.'_

Nieve finished her spell and sighed.

"I've done all I could. All we can do is hope." She whispered, sitting back on her haunches.

Elphaba sat back down next to her sister, who was still shaking, but not as erratically as before. Green fingers entwined with white ones. Her dark eyes scanned Nessa's face, hoping to see any sign of her sister's coming back.

"Don't leave me." Elphaba whispered, so quietly that no one in the room heard except for her. She gasped softly when the shaking subsided suddenly, unsure of what would happen next. Nothing did.

Except for in Nessa's mind, where another war was going on.

_Nessa opened her eyes to see several silver strands floating towards her. She willed them closer, still unable to move due to the black binds tying her down._

_A single tendril flew ahead of the others and found Nessa first. It seemed to stare at her for a moment, despite its lack of eyes, before it wrapped around one of the black fibers responsible for her entrapment and pulling. The black wire had surprisingly no resistance and came off easily. The other silver beings followed suit and started to pull the darkness away from Nessa, who could start moving her limbs again._

_An ear splitting scream was heard, and Nessa saw the black strands yank themselves away and form into Dark Nessa. She smirked at the other girl's surprised expression._

"_Did you miss me?" She asked innocently._

_Nessa closed her eyes momentarily, gathering herself. Preparing herself._

_This had to end._

"_This has to end." She said._

"_For once we agree."_

_The silver spindles, as if they had heard and understood the conversation, joined together into a pit just behind Dark Nessa, who was now a few feet from the edge._

"_You won't do this. You _can't _do it. You're too good." She sneered, eyeing the girl moving towards her._

"_Oh, my pretty," Nessa smirked, imitating her dark twin, "but you can. Remember we're one and the same."_

_Black eyes widened, but then narrowed again._

_She refused to go down without a fight._

_With a single flick of her wrist, Nessa went sprawling backwards from a magic blast to the stomach._

Elphaba gasped with hope and fear when Nessa let out a cry of pain, but still didn't wake up. She was surprised when a small burn cut a slit in the black dress, sizzling from that location. The green girl felt her anger boil but managed to remain calm, cool, and collected.

_Nessa groaned as she sat up, clutching her stomach where a small burn had appeared._

"_You can't destroy me, my pretty."_

"_She doesn't need to," a soft, angelic voice spoke, which belonged to one of the silver strands, "she just needs to fight you off enough."_

"_She can't do it." Dark Nessa snarled, "She's too weak."_

"_I am not." Nessa protested._

"_Believe me, my pretty, you are. If you weren't you wouldn't have had any trouble defeating me back at the hospital. But no, you gave in. You're weak." Dark Nessa punctuated the word with a crack across the face._

When Elphaba looked up again, she saw a red mark in the shape of a hand printed on Nessa's face, which was slowly fading to purple.

"What's happening?" She asked upon seeing the marks and the sweat collecting on Nessa's brow.

"She's fighting." Nieve answered, her voice soft as she gently rested a hand on the girl's forehead.

"Against?"

"Herself. The darkness that," Nieve paused, swallowing, "I bestowed in her heart." She closed her eyes. Elphaba watched, slightly mesmerized, as silver sparkles spiraled around her hand and disappeared when they came into contact with the other girl.

"There." She whispered. "That should help protect against any more physical injuries. As for emotional ones however…" She trailed off.

"Emotional ones?" Elphaba dared to ask.

Nieve took a shaky breath. "The fight against her dark side could have a serious toll on her emotional well-being. Confidence issues…self-loathing…the list goes on."

Elphaba turned her focus from Nieve back to Nessa, who still hadn't awoken.

"She can pull through." She squeezed her sister's fingers tightly. "She can always pull through."

"_You. Can't. Control. Me!" Nessa said with confidence as she stood up again. Dark Nessa's black eyes widened, realizing she might actually lose the battle. Her fear passed quickly and she regained her composition._

"_My pretty, good luck with that. You lack strength. Substance. How you got a boyfriend or _friends_ for that matter completely confuses me. Oh, and one more thing. You couldn't be a worse sister," she gagged at the word, mockingly, "to that green bean Elphafla."_

"_Her name." Nessa's anger reached the boiling point. "Is ELPHABA!" With a rush of strength, Nessa pushed Dark Nessa backwards, and she tumbled into the silver pit._

_Nessa realized what she'd done, and watched, transfixed, as the silver pit closed around her dark twin. But just before it did, one single black tendril broke out and flew back to Nessa. _

"_No o-one…is w-without…d-dark…ness…" The fading voice said as the black strand made its way into its host._

Nieve's face lit up when she noticed a tiny black speck in the dead center of Nessa's forehead. Acting quickly, she placed her index finger over it, and quickly dragged it all the way down her body to the ruby slippers. She lingered at mid-shin.

"What are you doing?" Elphaba asked, confused.

Nieve looked up.

"Containing it."

When she finally touched the slippers, they turned pitch black, and Nieve ripped them off Nessa's feet.

She chanted one final spell, and the shoes burst into flames and quickly burned away.

Elphaba turned back to her sister. She was pleasantly surprised to see that the black dress had been replaced with the blue hospital gown she wore what felt like ages ago.

"Wake up…come on…wake up." She pleaded.

As if Lurline herself could hear her, Nessa shot upright, gasping for breath. Her eyes were back to their natural brown, and Elphaba felt her heart lift at the sight.

"Nessie." Elphaba breathed.

"Fabala."

The green girl pulled her into a tight hug, which was reciprocated equally. Waving a hand, the black fire that had appeared suddenly vanished, and the others rushed over.

Nessa grabbed Boq's wrist and pulled him down to her level and they engaged in a deep, passionate kiss. Elphaba and Fiyero did the same, and once again Galinda felt awkward.

"You get used to it." Nieve and Frex said in unison looked away faintly. They stared at each other for a moment, confused, before Nieve turned away.

After his daughters pulled away from their boyfriends, Frex took both of them into his arms and held them, not wanting to let go.

Nieve smiled softly at the touching scene, before turning solemn again.

"You all should go." She said. "I have work to do."

"Thank you Nieve, for removing the darkness." Nessa said.

The grey eyed apothecary waved it away. "It's the least I could do for…putting it there in the first place." Snapping her fingers, wheelchair Nessa had used all her life suddenly appeared in front of them.

With help from Elphaba and Frex, they sat the brunette back in the chair. She sighed, hating being forced back into it, but knew it would be easier to accept it.

"Goodbye, Nieve." Frex said, smiling slightly.

"Goodbye, Frexspar." She returned, nodding.

She chanted an incantation, and the group of six disappeared, heading to Shiz University.

* * *

**The next chapter will probably be the last.**

**Who will be that 200th (!) reviewer? It could be YOU!**


	24. You Beautiful Girl

**Here we are! The final chapter! Wow you guys, I can't believe 200 reviews (wow ElphieIsPopular, you got all of them), 15 favs, and 17 follows. I'm amazed. You ate this story up, and stuck with me through lateness and cliffies. And to that, I say a humble thanks. I've had the most fun with the story out of all of them I think…tied with Darkest before the Dawn. Which IS going to be rewritten and republished, so keep an eye out.**

**Wanli8970: Yay Freyja isn't going to kill me!**

* * *

Nieve sighed and relaxed as everyone disappeared. Exhausted from the day's events and needing to clear her head, she locked up her shop and took off into the town. Her boots kicked the red dust off the path as she walked. She looked up, her grey eyes scanning the sky above, which was turning orange as the sun set.

Reaching the town, Nieve got herself a coffee and sat down on a bench. She watched the world go by as she sipped her beverage. As night fell, less and less people were out and about. Finishing her coffee, Nieve stood up and was about to walk back when she heard a _thump _and a shriek.

"Help!"

A grey barn owl, no, Owl lay injured on the ground a hunter was running towards it with a small pellet gun in his hand. Without thinking, Nieve gently grabbed the Owl. The hunter didn't stop moving until he reached them. He loaded his pellet gun and aimed it at Nieve and the bird.

"Hey lady! Get out of here! That's my Owl, he's worth a fortune." The man said angrily, eyeing Nieve.

The Owl looked up at her, its big brown eyes full of fear. Nieve noticed the broken wing it had, and readjusted her hand positon to be more comfortable. Bowing her head, she refused to look at the hunter.

"You aren't getting this Owl." Nieve said, determined.

"And who's going to stop me?" The man challenged, smirking.

"Me." Nieve responded, flinging out hand. A silver stream of magic leapt from her palm and pushed the man to the ground. His gun flew from his grip and landed a few feet away.

Startled, the man jumped up and grabbed the gun.

"Get out." Nieve growled at him. He raced off, scared of the grey eyed apothecary.

"Thank you," the Owl said, clearly in pain, "my name is Clemon."

Nieve smiled. "Hello Clemon, I'm Nieve. I'm going to take care of you."

With a slight flick of her wrist, the pair vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

When the smoke cleared, the group found themselves back at the gate to Shiz University. The campus was deserted except for a few students still squaring away their belongings and clearing out of the dorms.

"Oh dearies you're back," Madame Morrible said, coming into view as she exited the staff building. She gave the group a quick once over, and noted the fact that Nessarose was once again in a wheelchair. She frowned slightly at this, but quickly reverted back to her smile. "I see that Miss Nessarose all right. That's good." She paused momentarily. "Well dearies, you missed your promotion ceremony, I regret to inform you. But I suppose since there's only five of you, we can all the small ceremony if that's all right with you of course Governor Thropp." Morrible added hastily, not wanting to upset the governor. He smiled slightly and nodded.

"That would be lovely." He said, resting one hand on Elphaba's shoulder and the other on Nessa's. They looked at him and grinned.

* * *

"Well I've never been around so much royalty." Morrible said four days later, standing at her podium and surveying the crowd consisting of the Gillikin, Vinkus, and Munchkinland Royal families, as well as Boq's parents.

Boq, Elphaba, Nessa, Fiyero, and Galinda (in that order) sat behind the head Shiztress, looking out at their parents.

"These ceremonies are fairly simple. There isn't much to them really." Morrible explained. "Basically they're sophomores now."

Madame Morrible waited, and then spoke again. "But these five are extraordinary students and people. Since it's just them, I'd like to address each one individually."

Surprised, the students all leaned forward slightly.

"Boq Dazic is an incredibly clever boy. His exam scores were one of the highest in the school! Though shy and soft spoken, Boq opens up around his friends and it's a wonderful sight." The munchkin blushed slightly as she spoke and even more so when the small audience clapped for him.

"Elphaba Thropp," Elphaba felt a light squeeze on her hand and saw Nessa beaming at her, "is by far one of the best students to ever walk this campus. Her intellect has been unmatched and her talent for sorcery is truly amazing." Elphaba smiled as Morrible concluded and looked at her father. He gave her a thumbs up and a proud grin.

"And her sister, Nessarose Thropp, is special in her own way. She, like Elphaba, is incredibly smart and talented. Her artwork is on display in the art wing and has even been sent out to competitions where it has earned high ranks." Nessa flushed red and sank down slightly in her wheelchair.

"In all honesty, I didn't expect Fiyero Tiggular to last until the end of the year. But despite his reputation, the boy has changed his ways, for the better. He passed his exams with a B average," at this his parents gasped slightly, "and he has grown into a great musician in his guitar playing."

"And last but not least, Galinda Upland. The most popular girl in school suddenly turned into one of the most studious. Sometimes she could be found in the library with Elphaba for extended study sessions while her friends were out shopping."

The small group of adults applauded enthusiastically.

"Congratulations students." Morrible smiled, turning to them. They all stood up to be recognized.

All but one. She looked up at them and realized that she better get used to it.

* * *

"Bye Elphie!" Galinda exclaimed, launching herself onto the green girl, hugging her tightly.

"Bye Glin." Elphaba responded, returning the hug. She pulled back when the blonde shook slightly. "Glin?" She asked, seeing tears in her eyes. But then she understood. "Galinda it's only three months."

"Elphie!" Galinda dragged out her friend's nickname. "That's two months and a day too long."

"You know, that's exactly what you said when we left for winter break. And then we know what happened," Elphaba said, and then leaned to Galinda's ear, "and my sister isn't dying from a curse that's blackening her heart," She whispered, laughing slightly. Galinda giggled.

After all the goodbyes were said, the Duke and Duchess left in their carriage, followed by the Vinkun King and Queen, the Dazics, and finally the Thropps.

The carriage ride was peaceful. Frexspar and Elphaba immersed themselves in their novels while Nessa opened her journal and started sketching. When she realized her father had fallen asleep, Elphaba leaned over to her sister across the carriage.

"What are you drawing Nessie?" She asked.

A small grin on her face, Nessa handed her the book.

Elphaba gasped as she looked over the intricate weaving of lines and shadings that formed the Thropp family. It included the manor in the background, with Frexspar and his daughters in the front lawn. What surprised Elphaba the most was Melena. She was standing on the roof of the mansion, casually leaning on one of the pillars, smiling gently.

"Nessa…this is beautiful…" Elphaba breathed.

The girl tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, looking away bashfully. "Thank you." She whispered.

* * *

When Nieve returned to her shop, she used her magic to help tend to Celmon's broken wing. It took time, but slowly the Owl recovered and was able to fly again.

"Be free my friend." She said, watching him flying freely around the small shop.

"No." He responded simply, landing in front of her.

"No?"

"I want to help you with whatever you wish…if you'll let me of course." He offered.

Nieve smiled and accepted his offer.

She built a peg and a sleeping area for the owl.

He would distribute flyers, gather supplies, and helped her brew potions.

Nieve became determined to turn herself around. She made it up to everyone she wronged in her life.

Two and a half months passed, and she realized what she had yet to do.

"Of course! How could I have been so blind?" Nieve exclaimed out loud.

"Nieve?" Clemon asked, landing on the floor next to her.

"Fetch me a pair of heeled shoes. I need them." She rolled up forty silver coins in a piece of paper and gave it to the Owl. He took it in his beak and flew out the window.

He returned thirty minutes later, carrying a box in his talons.

"Perfect." Nieve said upon opening the box to see the shoes. "Stand back."

The Owl stepped back but watched carefully.

"Da motus ad a dolor in utero, Disce ad movere, hot pedes. Ambulate, Ambulate ergo pede pedem, calidum pedes." Nieve chanted, feeling familiarity in the situation. She watched them turn ruby red and closed the box after putting a note inside.

"Bring these Nessarose Thropp." She instructed Clemon, stroking his head lightly. He ruffled his feathers and took off.

* * *

"Nessa! We're about to leave!" Elphaba called through the door. They were about to embark on the journey back to Shiz for sophomore year.

"I'm coming!" Nessa yelled back, grabbing her suitcase.

Suddenly a soft pecking caught her attention. A grey barn owl stood on the sill of her window, a box underneath him.

She unlocked the window and the Bird flew in.

"Nessarose, a package." The Owl took off.

Cautiously, Nessa opened it and saw a note.

_Miss Nessarose,_

_I swear on my mother's grave these are what they appear to be. Ruby slippers, as an apology. I was selfish and deluded. I shouldn't have cursed you. I truly apologize._

_Have a lovely life, you beautiful girl._

_Nieve_

With a soft laugh, Nessa took the shoes and put them on. Standing once again, she left the room, suitcase in hand.

* * *

**There it is! All done! Please review!**


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